Back 2 Good
by thatgleekychick
Summary: He was so angry from his argument with Quinn and the second he saw Rachel, he was fixated on her. It was like something clicked.And he was well aware of how ridiculous that sounded. Because he and Rachel Berry weren't suppose to click.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So I had absolutely no intentions of starting a new story, but I was inspired and it wouldn't leave me alone. I'm not giving up on What Makes Us Remember but it might be a while before I get back to that. This story was inspired by a song spam over in the Puckleberry thread Gleeforum and Matchbox Twenty's Back 2 Good. I'm going to play around with my non-Puckleberry couples so this should be an interesting journey. I don't own glee...but we have 4 days left! It's about time! Please Read and Review!

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Rachel Berry did not do high school parties. All the underage drinking, drug use and promiscuous sexual activity was not the behavior of a future star like herself should ever partake in….ever. But Mercedes had asked her to tag along to the party that Brittany was having while her parents were out of town. And since a strong group of friends was something Rachel wished for and wanted for her bright future, so she had agreed.

But at some point, despite her previous promise not to leave her alone, Mercedes had gone off to dance with Matt, and hadn't returned since. And now Rachel couldn't find her. For a while she walked around aimlessly in Brittany's house but she felt severely out of place with all the giggling and the drinking and the random couples making out in the hallway. So Rachel decided that a place against the wall, glass of water in hand, would be a suitable position for her. She had begun to wonder why Mercedes hadn't asked Kurt to come with her to the party instead. Despite their standing in glee club, Kurt's momentary position on the football team would have allowed him to fit in perfectly. Instead she had come along and was currently surrounded by a bunch of people she didn't know.

Well that was until she noticed Puck walking (really fast) in her direction. She knew better than to acknowledge his presence. She had kept her distance since she released baby gate on everyone. While she had confronted Quinn and offered an apology, Rachel had yet to speak to Puck about the whole situation, to offer an apology. Rachel was so lost in her thoughts of ways she would have changed the whole situation and making a mental note to possibly break the silence between her and Puck with an apology she didn't realize that Puck had walked past her until he walked into her, knocking her water from her hand. And then he kept going and Rachel thought that maybe their silence was going to be broken in another manner, one not as friendly as she had planned. There was plenty of room between her and the furniture in front of her for Puck to not run directly into her. It would have been one thing if he'd done it and then stopped to at least acknowledge that he was in the wrong, but instead her kept walking, until he stopped. He didn't turn back to Rachel immediately, he just stood there as if he was thinking or waiting for something. And then he turned around and hurried back towards Rachel. He stood in front of her and her confused and angry expressions, grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her towards the front door.

"Noah, what are you doing?" Rachel calls but Puck doesn't stop until they are on the front lawn of Brittany's house and he throws something at her. She's catches whatever he throws to her and glances down to see keys in her hand.

"What is this?"

"Don't play dumb Berry. It doesn't suit you very well," Puck says and it obvious to Rachel that he's drunk, "Those are keys, my keys, for my truck. We're going for a ride. You're driving."

"But Mercedes."

"Won't even notice you're gone, trust me."

"And you want me to drive?"

"Well I'd say I'd drive. But we both no I'm not in the best condition to do so."

"I don't really know if this is the best idea."

"Look, as I see it you have three choices. You can give me back my keys, go back in there, stand against the wall, and wait for Mercedes to come find you. Whenever that may be. You can stand out here all night and contemplate what I've asked of you until I'm sober enough to drive myself. Or you can go along for the ride."

Rachel stood there and looked at the boy in front of her. She found it incredibly odd that he was putting her in this situation. But she believed that she owed Puck and maybe helping him in this would clear her conscience of her need to apologize.

"Fine," Rachel said swinging the keys around her pointer finger, "Where'd you park?"

~~~~&~~~~

"Turn right here," Puck directed as Rachel maneuvered his "baby" through the streets of Lima. They had been driving for only a few minutes and Rachel was getting frustrated because every time she'd ask Puck where they were going he would only response with 'just drive'. Rachel thought she deserved some kind of award for this. Maybe a simple apology would have been for efficient. For all Rachel knew Puck was forcing her to drive to the place where he would kill her and then bury her body not to be seen again for thirty years until its all over the local news that the once great Rachel Berry's remains were found when they went to build a condominium. Okay, maybe not, but Rachel was really getting frustrated by not knowing what was going on. With a few more directions (or orders) from Puck, Rachel approached one of the wooded areas of Lima. She parked the car in the spot that he pointed to and they both hopped out of the vehicle. Immediately Puck began walking towards the trees and Rachel followed him curiously until they reached a clearing that made Rachel laugh.

"How very Twilight of you," Rachel says.

"What?"

"Nothing," Rachel said not surprised he didn't understand the reference, even if she was certain that he'd seen the movie.

"Thanks for the ride Berry. I'll just take the keys and you can be on your way." Puck said turning around to face her.

Rachel went silent. Was Puck really using her for ride and then sending her alone into the dark much farther from home than she liked? Immediately she wondered if Mercedes would come to get her if she'd called. She wondered if she walked would she get raped or murdered or mutilated beyond recognition by some deranged man with a monster like Frankenstein ready to use her feet to complete his creation. Rachel really needed to lay off the crime shows that her fathers were so addicted to. Puck's voice dragged her from her inner freak out.

"Berry. I'm kidding. I don't blame you for thinking I would send you into the night alone. But I'm not that much of an asshole, so take a seat. We might be here a while."

Rachel felt the anger escape from her body. She watched as Puck went to sit, staring towards, nothing really, just trees. But from the way he's sitting Rachel can tell this is his place. The place he comes to think and do all the non-Puck, more Noah, like behaviors. She remembers that part of him from those days that they dated. There were moments when he was totally Puck and then Noah would come out and she couldn't help but smile at him. Despite the fact that during their relationship she was still harboring feelings for Finn, when Noah came out she forgot about the tall boy and was able to focus on the self-proclaimed badass in front of her. Rachel sat down, away from Puck, like far away. It was as if he had some kind of disease that would destroy her voice and rendered unable to perform.

"I'm not going to bite ya. You don't have to sit all the way over there," Rachel doesn't move, "Look, I don't blame you for not wanted to be around me. I haven't exactly been the nicest to you and I thought I apologized for all of that. If you want we can go back to the party." Rachel took note of how in one sentence he flashed between Puck and Noah. It had been so quick that most people wouldn't have noticed. But she did.

"Noah, it's not your company that I am finding uncomfortable. I just don't know why you want me here. You made it very clear that we weren't friends," Rachel said remembering that afternoon the bleachers, "But then you grabbed me and now we're here."

He was quiet for a while. So long that Rachel was pretty sure he wasn't going to say anything to her at all. She took in the silence as looked around her. The moon was shinning brightly illuminating the area and it truly did look beautiful. She wondered how Puck knew about this area but then realized it was probably a great make out spot, or she supposed he used it for a little more than making out.

"I grabbed you because you looked lonely." He finally said.

"Oh," she said not entirely clear if that was a sufficient answer, but she chose to move over, closer to him, "Why were you running out of there?"

"Leave it to you to ruin a good moment by asking questions,"

"Sorry."

"Why?"

"Because my inquiry clearly upset you."

"I'm not upset. Not at you at least," he said as Rachel stayed silent and then was surprised when Puck continued, "Quinn told me she's chosen a family for our daughter."

"Is that not what you want?"

"I don't know. I know I don't want her to grow up feeling abandoned. I'm not my father."

"Have you told Quinn this?"

"No. Well she knows this isn't what I want. But she doesn't care."

"I'm sorry."

'For what now?"

"If I had just kept my mouth shut-"

"We'd be in a bigger mess. And why aren't you off playing house with Finn? I figured he would have seen the light by now."

"I believe last I saw Finn, Santana seemed pretty comfortable on his lap." Rachel remembered one of the many images she'd seen while looking around Brittany's house for Mercedes. Its not that it shocked her, Finn was a cute and popular boy and Santana, well she was Santana. When Finn hadn't come running to Rachel after baby gate she figured he was just in need of some space and Rachel was willing to give it to him. But he seemed to want to share his space with everyone who wasn't her as of late. It was all over the school that Finn made out with Crystal Harper last weekend.

"I thought San was sleeping with Brittany again."

"Apparently Brittany is into boys this week. Her and Santana had a fight or something and now Brittany had been flirting with Mike again."

"Poor Changster. How do you know all of this? You aren't exactly BFFs of whatever with any of them."

"No one seemed to notice me at the party, so I was privy to a plethora of conversations I normally would not be."

"I noticed you," Puck said and he noticed the confusion in Rachel's eyes, "Why did you come if you were so uninterested?" Puck added to distract Rachel from his previous statement.

"Mercedes begged me."

"The great Rachel Berry gave into peer pressure."

"I was just giving a friend some moral support,"

"Even when that friend ends up ditching you?"

"She didn't-" Puck gave her a look, "Okay, fine maybe she did but I do believe her intentions were good."

"Do you always only see the good in people?"

"Not only."

"Bullshit. You keep following around Hudson despite the fact he's just stringing you along. Quinn's been nothing but a bitch to you and you do nothing but support her. You thought I possessed some greatness despite the shit I put you through."

"Because you do. I truly see potential in you Noah. I've forgiven you for all your past in discrepancies"

"You're the only one apparently. And I think you've got an extra screw lose because of it. Look, I think I'm sober enough because this feelings shit is really getting on my nerves," Puck said standing up, "How about I take you home. Or would you rather see if Chocolate Thunder is done with Chocolate Lightning?" He offered Rachel his hand.

"That's a horrible nickname for Matt," Rachel said accepting Puck's hand and allowing him to help her up.

"You want the ride home or not Rachel?"

"Please."

He didn't let go of her hand until they got to his truck.

Puck insisted that he was sober enough to drive. Which Rachel was thankful for because she felt that Puck's truck was a mammoth and refused to drive it any longer than she had to. The ride home is silent. At least on Rachel's exterior. Inside Rachel is trying to figure out how she ended up here, in Noah Puckerman's truck after having a real conversation with the boy. Puck occasionally glances at Rachel who had this look in her eye and Puck can only assume that she is thinking. Which he seemed to be doing as well. He might have to blame the alcohol for him grabbing Rachel Berry by her tiny hands. But he was so angry from his argument with Quinn and the second he saw Rachel, he was fixated on her. It was like something clicked. And he was well aware of how ridiculous that sounded. Because he and Rachel Berry weren't suppose to click. When Puck pulls into Rachel's driveway, Rachel quickly thanks him for the ride before exiting the vehicle and hurrying inside. Puck waited until Rachel was safely inside. He knew from one of the conversations that he over heard during glee that her Dads weren't home until Monday morning.

Immediately after locking the front door and setting the alarm system Rachel went to her bedroom and began her nightly ritual. Teeth, hair, and skin are perfect order. She emerged from her bathroom in purple and pink flannel pants and a white tank top and glanced at her nightstand where her blackberry was blinking. She had a text message. She immediately thought it would be from Mercedes who Rachel called on the way home so that if Mercedes wouldn't be worried. She hadn't answered but she left a voicemail. But to Rachel's surprise her text message was from Puck.

Noah April 10, 2010 12:43:02 AM

_So. I like that you think I have potential or whatever._

Rachel caught herself smiling at the text. She pushed her covers back and slipped into bed before responding to his text.

_Does that mean you want to be friends Noah?_

Noah April 10, 2010 12:47:46 AM

_You've gotta stop callin' me that. But yeah._

Rachel laughed at his honesty. She hadn't meant to mock him in anyway. But this was Noah Puckerman. Honesty and feelings weren't exactly his forte. She was shocked that he had chosen her. She wasn't going to question it because she knew that it would very well drive him away. She had her fair-weather friends but Rachel thought for just a second that she might be able to find a genuine friend in Puck.

_That would be wonderful. Goodnight Noah._

Noah April 10, 2010 12:59:35 AM

_Nite Berry._


	2. Chapter 2

AN: OMGlee!! The response to the first chapter was amazing. Thank you so much for all the reviews and alerts and favorites! They made me absolutely unbelievably happy. So I am staying up late to get this done before this horrid hiatus is officially over! Can you believe that we've all survived the last 124 days without a new episode of glee...but the wait is almost over and I'm going to stop talking! Enjoy the chapter and the episode tonight! R&R!!!

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Puck and Rachel spent the rest of the weekend exchanging a few texts. Puck was busy with Quinn who still continued to call on him whenever she needed things despite the fact that she wanted nothing to do with him or the baby the second the adoptive parents take her. Rachel busied herself around the house all weekend, recording several MySpace videos to be uploaded at a future date and making sure that her homework was complete and correct before indulging herself in a little television.

During school hours, Puck and Rachel barely saw each other. They shared no similar classes (not that Puck attended half of them) and while before any time they passed each other in the hall, they didn't pay attention to the other; they now locked eyes or sometimes Puck would nod his head in acknowledgement, little things that no one else seemed to notice. It wasn't that they were hiding their budding friendship; it just wasn't anyone's business. There was no need to make a grand spectacle of it all.

But that didn't stop Puck from one day, after they had been friends for about a week, walking into glee and taking a seat next to Rachel then striking up a conversation that continued the one they had had the previous night about the greatness of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Puck thought the show was an amazing combination of drama and Buffy's as kicking that created what Puck thought was a pretty fantastic show. Puck had tried for a good hour to convince her to let him start a Buffy marathon with her. The only episode Rachel would agree to was the musical episode, which she found to be only mildly amusing and found herself commenting on everyone's vocals that she deemed were all sub par to her own. All of this caused Puck to just roll his eyes. So now as they were picking up their conversation, Puck was trying once again to convince Rachel that she must watch from the beginning in order to appreciate it beyond one episode.

While Puck and Rachel were deep in their conversation, they didn't really pay any mind to the rest of the glee club as they walked in with confused and shocked looks on their faces. The most shocked of course were Finn and Quinn. Quinn had come in laughing at something Tina had said and froze causing Tina to bump into her and then both girls gawked at the scene in front of them. Quinn didn't like it one bit. Despite the fact that she wanted nothing to do with Puck romantically, she hated the idea of seeing him with Rachel. Rachel had been the one to come between her and Finn (well before Finn found out she slept with Puck) and she did not need Puck distracted by Rachel when his attention should be on her and her baby. She shot Tina a look as the two went to take a seat. When Finn walked in it was Santana that stopped abruptly. The Latina looked at the two, both still enthralled in their conversation, and gave them a dirty look that went completely unnoticed.

By the time everyone was in the choir room, everyone was whispering trying to figure out what was going on. It wasn't until Kurt decided this gossip was just too juicy to leave to speculation did anyone actually confront Puck or Rachel.

"Since when did the two of you start talking to each other?" Kurt shouted causing complete silence to fall over the room, "Its not like either of you can stand the other."

Rachel got that look in her eyes that she got right before she was going go on one of her tirades but Puck spoke up before she put him and everyone else through that.

"Look Hummel. If we want to talk to each other, we will. And I don't give a damn what any of you gossip girls think about that."

Kurt was completely insulted by Puck's outburst and just rolled his eyes and crossed his legs and started talking to Mercedes. Puck immediately turned back to Rachel determined to convince her that Angel and Spike were good reasons to start watching Buffy because all the chicks totally dig them, but Mr. Shuester walked in the room and immediately called everyone's attention to him.

"Alright guys," Mr. Shuester said clasping his hands together in front of him, "Regionals are in a little over a month, and we've been working really hard and I know that we will continue working that way. But I want us to try out some new songs just to see what they would sound like. I feel really good about the song choices we've been going over but I want to make sure we have just the right set list. So, here is our new song. Finn and Rachel I want you to take the leads."

Rachel looked over the music in front of her. She loved this song. It wasn't very popular.

"Mr. Shuester," Rachel said raising her hand and then continued before the instructor could even acknowledge her, "I think that maybe we could try a different lead for this song."

"You don't want a solo Rachel?"

"What? No. That's not what I mean. I just think that since you are trying different things out it would be beneficial to maybe give the male lead to someone else."

"Did you have someone in mind? Maybe Artie?"

"Noah." Rachel said firmly and everyone, including Puck, looked at her as if she was insane. He hadn't sung by himself since the Sweet Caroline incident a couple of months back and never once did the thought of singing in that capacity again cross his mind. He only did that for Rachel, to prove that he could be a leading man.

"Well Puck," Mr. Shuester said pulling him from his thoughts "Is this something you're interested in?"

"Uh, yeah I guess."

"Alright then in the interest of fairness I have to ask if anyone else wants to audition."

Everyone was quiet. It had suddenly dawned on everyone that it would be the first time that Finn and Puck would be challenging each other for something since baby gate exploded and when none of the boys decided to throw their hat in the ring, Mr. Shuester made it officially.

"All right then. Thursday it'll be Finn versus Puck for the solo in 'Water and a Flame'. Just like in the diva-off, we will put it to a vote. I can't wait to see what you boys come up with. So until then we will run through our other numbers."

The rest of practice went by slowly and as Rachel was exiting the choir room, she heard someone behind her call her name. She turned to see Puck hurrying after her. Once they were in the hallway, Puck grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her away from the group.

"What was that all about?

"Remember all that potential I said you had?"

"Yeah," he said confused where she was going with this.

"Well if you don't take chances like this your potential becomes unused. And unused potential is almost as bad as not having any. So I didn't want you to have any unused potential."

"So this was your plan to light a fire under my ass?"

Rachel laughed at Puck's language, "I wouldn't put it precisely that way but yes I do believe the method is the same."

"Cool. Uh, thanks."

"You're welcome Noah. I would not be the friend you need if I didn't do what I can to help you out."

Puck and Rachel turned their heads when there was a pregnant blonde girl suddenly standing next to them.

"Puck, we need to talk," Quinn said and Puck knew from the venom in her voice that she was being serious, "Now!"

Rachel felt as Quinn's eyes pierced into her skin. And she turned her attention back to Puck.

"I'll see you later Noah," Rachel said leaving the parents-to-be to whatever it was they were about to do. Fight? Rachel had no idea. Puck had made it clear to her that Quinn and him weren't dating. They tried; but Quinn didn't want it and she didn't want their daughter and he didn't have a choice but to deal with what Quinn wanted. Rachel asked him if he wanted those things: Quinn and the baby, but he was just silent and then Rachel dropped it. Exiting the school Rachel made her way to through the parking lot to her car. She had plenty of homework to do when she got home and though it was utterly horrible, she wanted to watch One Tree Hill. Her Dads had extended their trip an extra day so they wouldn't be home until the next morning so Rachel planned to fully enjoy having the house to herself for one more night. As she approached her car, she saw that there were two people making out against the car two cars down. Rachel swallows the bile that is burning the back of her throat when she realizes those two people are Finn and Santana. Rachel quickly got in the car, and then put her seatbelt on before turning the ignition. She was grateful for her Broadway mix and she turned the volume up as she pulled out of her parking spot and sped out off school grounds.

~~~~&~~~~

Rachel found herself making dinner for herself in the kitchen when her phone started ringing. She looked at the screen and rolled her eyes when she saw that it was Puck. Rachel answered the phone then tucked it between her ear and her shoulder as she continued the preparation of her meal.

"Good evening Noah," she said stirring the noodles inside the pan.

"Yo Berry. What's shakin'?"

"I'm preparing dinner."

"Whatcha makin'?"

"Spaghetti, Noah."

"Why do you sound so pissed? I didn't do anything."

"I'm just trying to get all of this finished."

"I'm coming over."

"What? Noah."

"Come on you're home alone aren't you?"

"Well yes."

"Cook me food and I'll keep you safe."

"I don't remember asking you to Noah. I am perfectly capable-"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda. I know Berry, but I'm bored and I've got two hours till I have to pick Sarah up from her friend's house."

"One Tree Hill is on in approximately thirty minutes Noah."

"I'll be there in ten and I promise I'll behave like a good little boy."

Rachel snickered, "Fine. But one peep and you're gone."

Puck showed up twelve minutes later, devoured most of the spaghetti Rachel hadn't finished and then settled in front of the television on Rachel's 'fucking comfortable' couch as Rachel watched her show.

"No Gossip Girl?" Puck asked as Rachel turned the television off immediately after the program ended.

"Normally yes. But Daddy and I watch it together so I promised him I'd wait until he and Dad returned before viewing the episode."

"Right. Now what?"

"I am not here simply to entertain you Noah. Now I will finish my schoolwork. You should do the same."

"Berry, I don't go to class. Why should I do the work?"

"Because a shining academic record helps everyone else see the potential. If they don't see you try you can't expect them to believe you can do it."

"But do we have to do right now?" Puck whined.

"If you insist on ignoring your academics maybe you would prefer to focus on music. We could practice the duet for the sing off Thursday."

Puck shrugged, "Okay."

Puck and Rachel ran through "Water and a Flame" twice before Puck had to leave to pick up his sister and Rachel thought that they duet sounded decent. But with a little more work, she was sure that Puck would beat Finn.

~~~~&~~~~

Tuesday Puck went to all of his classes and even learned that he and Rachel had the same English class. He showed up just in time to be assigned a project with Rachel. He was never going to be able to skip English again.

~~~~&~~~~

When glee came around on Thursday, Puck was nervous. Which then upset him because badasses didn't get nervous, or upset? Maybe it was the fact that he was competing against his former best friend who still refused to speak with him. Or maybe because he was about to put it all on the line. If he couldn't beat Finn here, he was never going to. Finn had always been the one to get all the glory, no matter what they were doing. If Puck lost here, he knew that he would never be able to win against Finn. And that made the stress level rise again.

"Why did I let you do this to me?" Puck said taking his seat next to Rachel.

"You could have objected Noah."

"Would you really have let me?"

"No. But then you could have blamed me."

Puck scoffed.

"Noah, stop worrying. We've run through this enough times."

"But this time we aren't in your bedroom and your not up there."  
"Are you questioning your own badassness Noah?"

"Hell no."

"Then stop stressing. I'm rooting for you," Rachel felt her heart constrict just a bit as she realized those were the same words Finn had used before her diva-off against Kurt. As Finn walked in and took a seat next to Santana, Puck shot Rachel a look.

"Really? I'd thought you'd be on Team Finn."

"I put you into this whole ordeal how could I not be on your team."

"So you're finally taking responsibility!"

"No. Well not entirely."

Puck rolled his eyes as Mr. Shuester entered the room and called the start of the sing off.

Puck is the first one to audition. Rachel gave him a reassuring smile as he started and she relished in how much she enjoyed his voice. Since they had started their friendship, she was able to hear his voice more than she had ever before and she felt that he truly possessed a gift. Their friendship had become a very important fixture in Rachel's life and there wasn't a thing that she would change. He may drive her crazy with his cockiness and his insistence on making everything that he can into a sex joke, but she had gotten used to his company. He had told her once before that they weren't friends before they dated for that extremely brief period, but she could say that they were now, and that being Puck's friend was much more comfortable than anything she had experienced with the boy during their tryst. Watching him finish the song, Rachel felt so very proud of her friend. She knew it wasn't easy for him to do what he was doing. Especially against Finn who was once the boys very best friend and was now the boy who refused to look at him, speak to him or even acknowledge his presence unless absolutely necessary. Everyone clapped as Puck made his way back to his spot next to Rachel who was practically beaming before both teens turned as Mr. Shuester called Finn to the front of the room for his chance to sing the song.

Rachel knew that Finn's voice was good. She knew talent because she was talented. And as Finn took his spot in the center of the choir room, Rachel couldn't argue that if Finn got the solo that he wouldn't do the song any harm. But Finn was making out with Santana and not her and singing songs with Finn was incredibly difficult. Not that she could blame Finn for choosing to spend his time with Santana after everything he'd endured. And while she could never condone the actions of both Quinn and Puck, she knew that Puck was remorseful. It was an accident and there was nothing he could do to take it back so he was taking care of the situation the best he could. But Finn, Finn found that becoming Puck was the best way to get his revenge on Puck. Rachel felt that Finn just needed to get this rebellion or whatever it was out of his system before he would come to her. Rachel was certain that he would soon see the error of his ways and they would in fact get the chance that Rachel had been hoping for all along. Rachel glanced over at Puck who looked completely uninterested then back to Finn who seemed to be focused…on her? She smiled brightly as she felt Finn's eyes on her. She had certainly not planned for it but maybe her friendship with Puck had made him jealous and now he was singing to her. And she hoped that no one was paying attention to her because it was then that Rachel realized that Santana was sitting directly behind her and that Finn wasn't looking at her at all. It was a fantasy she made up in her head and her face dropped. Rachel decided in that moment that Santana and Finn were much more disgusting than Finn and Quinn.

Once he finished singing, Finn returned to his seat next to Santana and everyone filled out their ballot and handed it to Mr. Shuester. Mr. Shuester laid all the slips of paper and inspected them all before he turned back to the group.

"All right guys. You both did amazing up there, but there can be only one," Mr. Shuester paused them to make everything more dramatic but Puck wished he would just get on with it, "Congratulations Finn."

Everyone, including Puck and Rachel, applauded as Finn just nodded in acceptance. When Mr. Shuester dismisses rehearsal, Puck stormed out of the choir room. Rachel found him at his locker a few minutes later.

"Noah, I'm sorry."

"Did you enjoy that?"

"What?"

Puck rolled his eyes at her, "Was all of this payback for the slushies and the taunting? Or were you in on it with Finn so you both could make me look like more of a fool in front of everyone else?"

"Of course not Noah."

"Are you sure about that Rachel? Because you've been telling me for two days that I've got this in the bag and then I don't. And while Finn's singing, you're smiling like a big shit-eating cat. Like you just got your prize. Your boy got his part."

"Noah, I promise you that it isn't you think."

"Oh, I know exactly what it is. And I'm not going to sit around and let it continue." Puck already feels like shit for losing, once again, to Finn but he feels even worse when he grabs his bag and storms down the hallway towards the exit to the school.

Rachel watches Puck storm down the empty hallway completely flabbergasted. She doesn't really understand what just happened other than the fact that Noah is upset and he blames her for the humiliation that he's feeling. Watching the door close behind Puck, Rachel realizes that being Puck's friend is going to be a lot more difficult that she'd realized.

When she texts him later that night….he doesn't answer.

* * *

The song that Mr. Shuester wants to use is "Water and a Flame" by Daniel Merriweather featuring Adele. It's an amazing song.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm sooo sorry this took so long! Everything, including writer's block, got in the way. But I was inspired by The Power of Madonna...which OMG was probably the best if not one of the best episodes of Glee ever. Thank you to all you wonderful people who have reviewed, alerted and favorited this story! It means the world to me, it does. For those of you who were upset that Finn won the sing off in the last chapter, I shall request that you look up the lyrics to "Water and a Flame" by Daniel Merriweather ft. Adele. The song to me is more Finn and Rachel than Puckleberry. Please R&R and I will do my best to not make the wait til the next chapter as long as this one.

* * *

Rachel spent all night waiting for Puck to text her back. When she went to bed she left her phone on the bed in front of her so incase he decided to change his mind, she would feel it vibrate. It never did. Friday morning Puck walked right past Rachel in the hallway without even a glance. This upset Rachel. Not because Puck wasn't talking to her (okay maybe that was part of it) but it was because he wasn't talking to her because he had some crazy idea that she was working with Finn in making him look like a fool. And that was absolutely not true. Especially because as Finn and Santana walked past her, Finn wasn't even aware that Rachel was there. But Rachel wasn't going to go to Puck and beg and plead him to forgive her for her untrue crimes. Rachel knew (or maybe it was just hope) that Puck would eventually see the error of his ways and come back to her. But he needed to come to her on his own.

When Puck doesn't show up for English, Rachel is furious. Their project is due on Monday and the teacher had given them class time to work on it. Rachel had refused to let Puck have any possession of the materials since he was completely unorganized so she had them but she's now forced to make decisions on her own that she would have rather made with Puck. On top of that, she isn't sure if he's going to talk to her at all this weekend so she might as well finish the project on her own. Luckily, she was able to complete her task list on time without Puck's help.

At the end of the day, Rachel was pulling all of the books she would need for the weekend out of her locker. Aside from the project in English that she had just about completed, Rachel had a test in Math on Monday and she had already planned to dedicate all of Saturday evening to studying.

Some of the Cheerios and Mercedes and Kurt were gathered around Quinn's locker just a few lockers down and Rachel heard Santana inviting all of them to a party at her house Saturday night. After they disperse, Mercedes came over to Rachel's locker to ask to borrow her history notes. When Mercedes walks away with just a thank you, Rachel can't decide if she's upset or relieved that Mercedes doesn't ask her to accompany her to yet another party.

~~~~&~~~~

While Rachel is at home Saturday night, completely engrossed with her Math book, Puck is at Santana's party. But he's bored out of his mind, and just a tad intoxicated. He always loved when Santana had parties because she always had the best alcohol. But not even the vast amount of alcohol that he had consumed could have saved this party from turning into the disaster that it had become. With a drink in his hand, Puck decided to check out what was going on around the rest of the house. He stumbled down the hallway towards the kitchen and from inside he can hear voices yelling. He knows immediately that it is Finn and Santana when she starts barking at him in Spanish. She's saying something he's heard a thousand times but he still has no idea what it means. He knows better to go inside because he does not need Santana pissed at him, or to be anywhere near Finn right now. He hears snickering and looks to see that standing a few feet in front of him, on the other side of the kitchen entrance, was Quinn. She seemed to be relishing in the conflict between her ex-boyfriend and the Latina. Puck rolled his eyes and walked away. He didn't understand why Quinn even came to these parties anymore. She couldn't drink because she was pregnant and she really just spent a lot of time staring at Finn, or yelling at Puck for getting her pregnant in the same house they were currently in.

Puck stumbled a bit more until he literally ran into a Cheerio. The only reason he knew that it was a Cheerio was because of those stupid outfits that they wore everywhere. He had already decided that if he ever went into the closet of a Cheerio, there would be nothing but their uniforms. The only time he'd ever seen Brittany and Santana without them is during dress rehearsals and performances for glee. But back to the Cheerio in front of him who was spouting something about watching where he was walking that he really wasn't paying attention to. But he smoothed talked his way out of the situation and somehow (ok he knew it was the fact that he was a stud) he also talked his way into her pants.

Though she had said it a few times, Puck had no idea the name of the girl he was currently sleeping with. Hell, his brain barely registered what she looked like other than 'hot'. He didn't care enough for it to register. He just liked her big boobs and the fact that she let him touch them. But half way through something happened that Puck had never experienced before. He was enjoying himself and from the noises coming from the Cheerio she was enjoying herself as well, but then she moaned 'Bobby' and Puck was totally having a 'what the fuck?' moment. He was Puck, a stud and sex master and never, EVER has a girl fantasized about being with someone else while they were with him. He was too good for girls to focus on anyone but Puckzilla. But as the Cheerio kept going, Puck figured he might as well go with it too. It wasn't something he was used to but he wasn't going to sacrifice sex for the blow to his ego. Beside, whoever the fuck Bobby was, he was with his girl right now, not him. When Puck finished, he just laid there on Santana's brother's bed and watched as the Cheerio dressed and mumbled a whole bunch of stuff that Puck really wasn't paying attention to. Rolling his eyes, Puck rolled off the bed after she leaves and gets dressed and exits the room himself. He walks through the crowd of people and out the front door and leaves. The party was lame.

~~~~&~~~~

After spending her Saturday studying rigorously for her math test, Rachel thought she was completely prepared. She also found time to finish her project for English. So while her parents were out looking for garage sales, Rachel planned to spend her Sunday afternoon cleaning the house. She had her Celine Dion CD on loud enough not to disturb the neighbors and had just finished the cleaning the kitchen floor and decided to dust the mantle while she waited for the hardwood to dry. She had just about finished when the doorbell rang. She quickly turned the volume down on the stereo assuming that it was her neighbor; but she had made sure that the volume was at the exact point that they had measured that it wouldn't bother Mr. and Mrs. Henson. On top of that, it was the middle of the day; she should be allowed to indulge herself.

"I assure you that the music was at the correct level," Rachel said opening the door fully expecting Mr. or Mrs. Henson to appear. However, she was shocked, pleasantly shocked, when it was neither of her neighbors.

Puck watched as Rachel whipped the door open in front of her babbling something about levels of music until she realized that it wasn't whoever she was expecting. She was dressed differently than he had ever seen her. She had on jeans and a plain white t-shirt that was much too big. Her hair was high on top of her head and she had a fabric headband on to hold in the stray pieces of hair against her head. He was sure that she thought she looked like crap. Puck, on the other hand looked at this Rachel, the one without the short skirts and sweater vests and argyle and knee socks, and although he would admit that he loved the skirts, he found that this Rachel was a lot less scary than the one he was used to.

"Noah. Come in." Rachel said moving out of the way to allow him to enter. He crossed the threshold when he noticed the feather duster in her hand and then he realized that Rachel had been cleaning.

"I didn't interrupt anything did I?"

"No, I was in the middle of cleaning so you'll have to forgive the mess." Rachel said.

As Puck looked around, he couldn't imagine how this was considered a mess. He had never seen a house look cleaner in his life. He made a mental note to call her next time his mom asked him to clean the kitchen or something. Rachel was happy that he was there; because maybe that meant that he was talking to her again. But a silence fell over them as they are just standing in the foyer of her house and she really isn't sure she knows what to say. Silence is not something Rachel has learned to handle very well. She talks most of the time just to avoid having moments like this when there is obviously something that needs to be said but neither party wants to start or the party (in this case Puck) that should be talking hasn't exactly gained the courage to do so. They are seriously silent for a lot longer than Puck thinks that Rachel can be quiet for and that's beginning to make him more uncomfortable than anything. But breaking the silence means talking and that means feelings and that really isn't something that Puck handled well. But eventually he realizes that he's being a pussy and he needs to man up and be the badass than he is.

Rubbing his hand over his Mohawk, Puck looks at Rachel who is staring at him, like she's waiting for him, "Look, " he starts, "I know that you aren't plotting against me with Finn. I guess that I'm just sick of feeling like I'm always going to be a second choice to Finn. He always gets the girls and solos and he's the star and the hero while I am always in the background and the bad guy. I guess losing the solo kinda reminded me that it keeps happening."

"Noah you do realize that you were just talking about your feelings?" Rachel teased.

"Yeah and if you tell anyone I'm going to hunt down your midget ass. Isn't that what friends do? Not tell other people when they do such stupid things as expressing feelings?"

Rachel laughed, "Your secrets safe with me. I promise I won't tell anyone you're not a badass."

Puck rolled his eyes, thinking that Rachel obviously didn't know that what had just happened did not question his badassness. In fact, the fact that he had the courage to do that shit made him an even bigger badass.

And why aren't you pissed?"

"I'm not angry Noah because I have already forgiven you."

Puck thought it was pretty cool that he didn't to have to bed in order to get her to forgive him. "So we should probably finish up that project for English," Puck said trying not to feel like a total asshole for abandoning her for the last couple of days.

"It's all done," Rachel said simply.

"What? We still had a lot to work on last time I went to class."

"I finished it last night. We currently have a very detailed presentation of the role of the daughter in Shakespeare's plays."

"Well now I feel like a bigger ass than I did before. Rachel, I'm sorry that you had to finish it yourself."

"Noah, you weren't really contributing all that much as it was. The last time we were working on it in class you were staring at Jennifer Tillman's backside the entire time."

"You can say badass but you won't say ass?"

"I'm just quoting you Noah. I would never use such language."

"It's the same thing."

"It is not."

"Is to. If I start saying fuck all the time does that mean I can get you to say it?"

"Noah, stop being ridiculous."

Puck laughed as he was suddenly filled with a determination to get her to say every dirty word he could think of. But he also knew trying was going to result in a slap to the face, "I really am sorry that I didn't get to help you finish the project for English. I'll make it up to you some how," Puck said.

As Puck's words escaped his lips, Rachel immediately thought of the time that Finn promised her that he'd make it up to her. The time when she did something she is still embarrassed about just to get into Finn's good graces. She was still waiting for Finn to make it up to her. But she felt that maybe the difference between Finn and Puck was that Puck might actually be true to his word.

After finally moving out from the foyer, Rachel went over what she did for their English project so that when the teacher asked Puck a question he would be able to answer it and no one would know that Rachel did a majority of the work. The two finally got back into that comfortable atmosphere that existed in their friendship and Rachel thought that as unexpected as this pairing is, they needed it; both of them did. Because some how Puck found himself on the outside. He had been shunned by Quinn and Finn, the two most important people in his life, and had no choice but to look in. And Rachel, well she'd always been on the outside, never really allowed in. But it was like now the outside had a population of two.

~~~~&~~~~

On Monday, Rachel and Puck seemed to be back to the same pattern they had before Thursdays sing off drama. In Glee, they sat next to each other before Mr. Shuester calls them to run through "Water and a Flame." When the song is through Mr. Shuester asks them to stop and take their seats.

"You guys were doing a good job with that song, but I realize that it isn't the right song for regionals and I don't want to spend anymore time on it than we already have. But instead, I have a new assignment for you. I want you all to come up with what you think will be the best number to do at regionals and present them next week. You can do it in duets or trios, even solos but remember this selection is to be for all of us to perform. And each one of you will have to perform at least once."

Puck felt Rachel nudge him and he turned to give her his attention.

"Would you like to do a duet, Noah?" Rachel asked softly.

Puck shrugged, "Sure."

The smile on Rachel's face warned Puck that he was going to have to work with Rachel and all of her crazy and he was probably going to regret it at some point and she was going to drive him insane. But working with Rachel was much better than working on a solo since he was almost certain that at this point, no one else was going to want to work with him. Mr. Shuester dismissed rehearsal Puck waited for Rachel to gather her stuff before they headed to the parking lot. Puck had convinced Rachel that part of him making up for the shitty way he had been treating her lately, was to drive her to school. Rachel was smiling when she walked out of the choir room and immediately began ranting about what duets she would find suitable for their voices and making sure that he understood that this was a big undertaking for him and all of this other stuff that Puck soon began to tune out. Friend or not, he wasn't going to be able to comprehend or remember anything that she said anyway.

"We need to talk," Quinn said staring straight at Puck as she steps in front of the two right before they are about to leave the building. Her hands were on her hips and she tossed her hips to the side and it made her baby bump more apparent.

"Sure," Puck said reaching into his pocket and pulling out his car keys and throwing them to Rachel, "Don't drive off. And if I'm not there in ten minutes send the search dogs."

Rachel caught the keys and headed towards the parking lot.

"What Quinn?" Puck asked with a bit of bite in his voice once Rachel was out of sight.

"What are you doing?"

'I'm trying to go home. But you seem to have other plans."

"I mean with Rachel. Are you dating? Because I don't know why else you would want to hang around her."

"We're friends. And I said this to you before and I said it to Hummel, Rachel and I are friends and if you don't like it tough shit."

"But I thought you were over that. Everyone saw you walk away from her after the sing off and avoid her on Friday. And all of a sudden you're best friends again."

"She's forgiven me."

"You think she can just forgive people that fast. You've went from throwing slushies on her face, to dating her for like a second, to avoiding her, to being her BFF."

"Yeah I know it doesn't make any sense, but she's forgiven you hasn't she?"

"She's been very supportive of my pregnancy, but I still don't like her."

"I'm not asking you to. No one is asking you to. Now is there something I can do for our daughter while she's still ours or are you just trying to aggravate me?"

"She doesn't like this either Puck." Quinn said rubbing her hand over her belly.

"That would be a no," Puck said heading towards the door, "See ya tomorrow Quinn."

When Puck entered the car he was expecting an onslaught of song ideas or something equally Rachel like but he was surprised when she was quiet. He started up the car and began the trek to her house and she still hadn't said a word.

"Look, Noah I know it's none of my business," Rachel said bursting out of the silence that she couldn't handle any longer, "But you have told me yourself that Quinn wants nothing to do with you aside for your child together. But I am curious as to why she continues to demand your attention."

Puck stared at her confused. She had spoken so fast that he barely understood the Berry-talk. And Rachel caught on.

"What did Quinn want?" Rachel rephrased.

"Oh. Uh, she thinks we're dating. I guess she's worried that if I talk to another girl it will take away from being available at her beck and call anytime she has a craving."

"Oh."

"Yeah, she's just being dramatic or whatever."

"Noah, have you ever had a girl that was just a friend?"

"Nope."

Rachel smiled. She was happy that she was going to be his first girl friend that wasn't his girlfriend. She relished in the prestige she felt and then began rambling on again about ideas for their duet. Including costumes.

* * *

AN2: Just thought I'd share that the English presentation that Puck and Rachel were working on is actually a paper that I had to write for a Shakespeare class in college. R&R!!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I'm absolutely so sorry about the delay with this! I was actually beginning to believe that this wasn't going to get written...But, I have prevailed. I've realized that I have to pick up the pace with this story, or at least get to the juicy stuff. So it's coming. Thank you to all of those who reviewed, favorited or put this story on their alerts. It means everything to me and is the reason this was finished because we recently hit over 100 people who have put this on alert and that makes me very happy. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Oh, and I don't own glee or the song used that belongs to Elton John. And the key for that part of the chapters goes: _Italics_=Puck, Regular=Rachel, **Bold**=Puck/Rachel.

I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

As expected, Rachel made Puck rehearse almost every day after school. But Puck didn't mind really, because she lets him eat almost anything he wants and she lets him watch her awesome TV when they took their breaks. The only time they couldn't rehearse was when Quinn was having one of her wild pregnancy cravings and insisted that there was no one else to help her.

And Puck doesn't really ever feel like banging his head into the wall until he's unconscious. That is until the day she suggests costumes. Their song is old, so when Rachel suggest that their outfits match those of the original performers, he nearly goes crazy. She showed him a youtube video and those outfits were totally not badass. They were ugly and she expected him to wear these glasses that he adamantly protested against. But instead of arguing, he just rolled his eyes at her when she went on about how costumes are part of the performance.

He does that a lot; roll his eyes at her that is. Because he's learned that arguing with Berry over her insane ideas isn't a good idea. He did that the first day when he tired to tell her a fully choreographed number wasn't necessary. He ended up at the receiving end of a thirty-minute lecture about the definition of show choir and she told him that if he didn't want to do choreography he could join the Lima Community Choir. Puck definitely didn't want that. He knew that the LCC was full of old women. And not the cougar kind, the ancient ones. And Puck had standards. So instead of waiting for lectures, he rolls his eyes, which he surprisingly hasn't gotten in trouble for.

Friday at school, Puck is invited to a party at Jeffrey Sampson's house that night. Sampson has had some pretty awesome parties in the past. But Puck declines, he has plans with Rachel. Which could seem pretty lame, but he ends up having a good time.

He meets her dads, which completely freaked him out at first because dads don't like him around their daughters. Even if he and Rachel were just friends, he fully expected them to take one look at him and kick him out of the house then force him to leave the district so he could never be around their little girl again. But he's pleasantly shocked when they only ask a few questions (none of which involved his pending fatherhood) and then invited him and Rachel to play board games with them. And they did. Rachel told him several times that they could do something else. But it wasn't anything childish. It was Monopoly, which Daddy totally won. He was a real estate agent so Puck was pretty sure that was some kind of cheating, but he wasn't about to argue with him over it. Afterward, when Puck was sure it was late enough for Rachel's parents to hurry off to bed (it was eleven o'clock), they pulled out a deck of UNO cards, UNO! Rachel totally won (and he may have let her) but he hadn't played the game in a few years when he played with his sister. And it totally wasn't as badass as getting drunk at Sampson's party and possibly getting some action from a Cheerio (who would hopefully actually remember his name this time), but the night totally didn't suck. He learned that Rachel is as determined to win board games as she was at being on Broadway. This totally made Puck laugh at her tantrums a couple times. She just slapped his arm. He totally liked less scary Rachel.

When Rachel walked him to the door, she was apologizing profusely about making him hang out with her fathers. They were leaving in the morning to see her grandmother and would be gone the rest of the weekend and she wanted to spend as much time as she could with them. After he reminded her that if he wanted to leave he would have.

"It's fine Rachel really," he said, "but that means that tomorrow you have to do something that I want to do."

That idea scared Rachel. Not because she thought he would put her in danger, but the thought of what crazy, safe activities that Noah Puckerman could possibly include her in left her in the dark.

"Like what?"

"You'll find out. Be ready at noon tomorrow."

"Noah, you know I don't like surprises."

Puck placed his hand on Rachel's shoulder, "Are you questioning my badassness again Berry? Don't you trust me?"

"I assure you this is not a moment where your bravado is in question at all. And of course I trust you but as I said I am not a fan of surprises." Rachel said looking Puck in the eye. She had confidently found alternatives to the term 'badass' in order to avoid the risk of Puck using it to hear such language come from her lips.

"Then you don't have a damn thing to worry about," Puck said smiling.

As Rachel's dads were calling her back into the house, "I'll see you promptly at noon tomorrow Noah."

Puck nodded and then turned and walked from the porch to his truck parked on the street.

After saying goodbye to her fathers, Rachel realized she had no idea how to dress for whatever occasion Puck had planned for her. She sent him a text asking what the attire was to be required for their outing and she laughed and shook her head when he responded.

_U mean clothes? Jeez Berry. No jeans no skirts gym shoes. U do own those right? And a change of clothes._

Rachel alerted Puck that yes, she did own the required clothing and began getting ready. She debated berating him about his lack of proper punctuation but she had learned from him recently that it was proper to abandon common writing practices when texting. Not that it stopped her.

Puck arrived punctually at ten after twelve. As she climbed into the truck, she told Puck how proud she was of him for not being extremely late. And Rachel is utterly shocked when they go rock climbing. And Puck is surprised when Rachel doesn't struggle as much as he expected her to. He was fully prepared to tease her all afternoon about her lack of strength but she was able to hold her own and even out shined him a few times. When they had finished and both of them had showered and changed, Rachel reminded Puck of her rigorous diet and exercise routine that allowed her to build great upper body and leg strength.

"Where are we going now?" Rachel said when she realized that Puck had taken a turn that didn't lead back to her house.

"We need food." Puck said.

Rachel realized that he was correct, but she had intended on going home and preparing something and lounging around watching a movie. But as Puck pulled into one of the little diners of Lima, she figured that this was a more entertaining choice.

When they finish, Puck didn't bring Rachel home. Instead, he brought her back to his house. His mom isn't home and his sister just kind of sits there and doesn't bother him (which is finds weird since she is always bothering him). Rachel tucked herself into the corner of the couch and when Puck took the seat on the other end; she stretched her legs out until they rested on Puck's lap. Puck doesn't say anything but just lets her and rests one hand above her ankles and the other just below her knee. They stayed that way until her dads called to check up on her and both teens thought it would be for the best if Rachel went home. Puck dropped Rachel off in front of her house and only let her out when she promised to call if she needed anything since she was home alone. Rachel promised after she reminded Puck that they had another rehearsal Monday after glee. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as Rachel jumped out of the car and headed inside. He waited until the light was on in her bedroom before he pulled out of the driveway.

Monday during glee saw the beginning of the performances of everyone's regional suggestions. Brittany, Tina, Mike and Matt performed 'Sugar Rush' by the A-Teens. Everyone was completely put off by the choice. But after their performance, which Rachel enjoyed despite their bubble gum pop genre choice, the group revealed that they had allowed Brittany to choose the song. Why no one argued with her was completely lost on Rachel.

Unfortunately, the second performance on Monday was Finn and Santana. Rachel crossed her arms over her chest as she watched them walk to the front of the room. When the music started and Finn began to sing, Rachel was suddenly furious.

_Summer lovin' had me a blast_

Grease? They were doing Grease? Rachel was certain that Grease was her and Finn's thing. And now she was watching him in front of everyone performing with Santana Lopez of all people. Rachel did her best to keep herself composed while the two danced around. And when they were done the room erupted in applause. Really? That was truly less than awe-inspiring. Rachel knew right at that moment that she was not going to allow this song to make it onto the set list. There was no way they were going to win using a song from Grease that she wasn't apart of. It just wasn't allowed.

Rachel made Puck rehearse extra. They weren't suppose to perform until Thursday and while Rachel had thought about giving Puck a break after Monday, since he had been such a good sport. There was no way she was going to lose this, especially to Santana Lopez. They were teammates yes, but it was just a little friendly competition right? Of course.

On Wednesday Mercedes and Kurt were scheduled to perform first, then Artie and Quinn. But after Kurt and Mercedes AMAZING (yes, Rachel would admit that it was quite a stellar performance) of 4 Minutes by Madonna and Justin Timberlake the fire alarm ironically went off. Rachel heard Kurt saying repeatedly that it was because their performance was on fire. Rachel thought that if Kurt should gloat he should come up with something original instead of being so cliché.

When Thursday rolled around Puck was still surprised that he hadn't killed Rachel, but he had found that he actually enjoyed hanging out with her. He obviously hadn't gotten to know the real Rachel in the days that they dated (there really wasn't time for that with all the making out and breaking up a few times). She was kind of cool once you got adjusted to her wacky abrasive personality. And sometimes, like the time she was just listening to music for them to perform when she was just silent and it looked like she was just letting the music over take her. Puck thought it was kind of cool how she could just be one with the music and all. But it had taken him until after seven the night before the performance to convince her that the song was as good as it was going to get. And if hadn't already gotten used to it, it would have totally made him drive off the cliff when she agreed, and her speeches turned from how the music sounds to how excited she was to perform in front of the rest of the glee club.

So that being said the moment he walked into the choir room he could feel the anticipation coming off of Rachel in waves. He took his seat next to her and immediately he could hear Kurt scoffing in the background. He turned around and looked at the boy who was looking at Mercedes with an unhappy frown, his arms crossed over his chest, and his legs crossed tightly at the knee.

"You've got something to Say Hummel?" Puck asked annoyed.

"I was just wondering what number you two have come up with. Something I'm sure that features Rachel's voice far more frequently than yours since that is how Rachel works."

"You'll find out soon enough what we're doing. But you better untwist your panties so you can enjoy it better." Puck said turning back around to Rachel who was quietly taking in the bickering between the boys.

"How long are you going to deal with him and his Beyonce attitude?"

"Noah, while I appreciate your grand gestures of masculinity in my defense, keeping the peace between the team is what's best right now. So I will just let Kurt's words roll off of me just like the slushies and the graffiti and we can just go on to win regionals without some kind of drama that can only mirror that created at Sectionals by Coach Sylvester."

"You know that was partially my fault too right? The whole Finn not being there."

"Noah you mustn't forget my part in that whole debacle as well. But we must move forward with no feelings of resentment."

"Sounds good."

When Mr. Shuester came into the classroom he immediately called Artie and Quinn to the front of the room where they did a good rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Puck found it a little odd to see Quinn and Artie pair up. But he was kind of relieved. It seemed that since starting this project with Artie, Quinn called him less for trivial things, which he was kind of enjoying. Not that he didn't like that he was taking care of his kid or anything, it was just something Quinn used the baby mama card to get away with a lot more than rides to the doctor and picking up random things from the store because she was having a craving that she didn't even understand.

Everyone applauded the pair as they finished the song. And Rachel was immediately up and in the front of the room before Puck had any idea what was going on. He was happy that he had somehow convinced Rachel that full-blown costumes weren't really required but he decided that he would please her and wear the glasses. He immediately heard laughter coming from the rest of the club but he didn't care. He had worked like crazy on this song and he was going to rock it. Rachel gave a nod to Brad who began the song.

_Don't go breaking my heart_

I couldn't if I tried

_Honey if I get restless_

Baby you're not that kind

They were only one verse in but Rachel knew that all of her and Puck's hard work had paid off. She was surprised that he was able to keep up with her behavior that had pushed people away in the past. She wanted nothing but the best for her and Puck. She had to show off his potential. But she was still Rachel Berry and after watching Finn and Santana perform, she knew that she had to win this more than ever. She had to prove to Mr. Shuester that her choice was the best choice for the group. She couldn't guarantee that she would be allowed to have the spotlight that she had at sectionals again this time around, so she fully understood that this was her only real shot at creating a spotlight for herself.

_Don't go breaking my heart_

You take the weight off me

_Honey when you knock on my door_

I gave you my key

**Nobody knows it**

_When I was down_

I was your clown

**Nobody knows it**

_Right from the start_

I gave you my heart

I gave you my heart

_So don't go breaking my heart_

I won't go breaking your heart

**Don't go breaking my heart**

_And nobody told us_

`Cause nobody showed us

_And now it's up to us babe_

I think we can make it

Puck was just really glad that no one had started throwing food at them. He did realize that he was performing with Rachel, so the chances that their performance was that bad didn't even exist, however the thought may have crossed his mind a time or two. After the whole sing off debacle, he was sure that Rachel (even though he understood that she wasn't Hudson's spy) still believed she deserved to sing with the best. And everyone had proven that that wasn't him. But she sang with him and she had that look of her face that she got when he got the choreography right and he thought that was pretty awesome.

_So don't misunderstand me_

You put the light in my life

_Oh, you put the spark to the flame_

I've got your heart in my sites.

**Nobody knows it**

_When I was down_

I was your clown

**Nobody knows it**

_Right from the start_

I gave you my heart

I gave you my heart

_So don't go breaking my heart_

I won't go breaking your heart

**Don't go breaking my heart**

When the song ended Rachel bounced over and flung herself at Puck hugging him tightly. He would admit that while they had been friends for a few weeks now, and they spent quite a lot of time together, this was the first time they had hugged since he had chosen glee over football all those months ago. He held on to her tightly.

"That was awesome guys!" Mr. Shuester said as Rachel and Puck broke apart.

The two took their seats with the rest of the club as Mr. Shuester took control of the class again, "Okay. Now you know that we need to have a solid set list for Regionals. Going up against Vocal Adrenaline is going to be hard, but from what you've demonstrated this week, I don't think we lack the talent it takes to get it done. But there is only so much room. So I have decided that we are going to add two of your selections to the set list for regionals. I think with enough work, we can turn both of them into great numbers. So Kurt and Mercedes I've decided that we will do 4-minutes. Your performance was amazing and caused the fire alarms to go off. But the second one I thought would fit perfectly is the duet that Rachel and Puck just performed for us. I think these two have found a song that we can have fun with. So starting Monday we are going to get to work on perfecting those two."

Rachel is practically beaming when Mr. Shuester dismisses glee.

"See Noah," she said as she was literally bouncing towards the parking lot with him, "If you just use that potential you can do create amazing things. You're going to be lead on a song at regionals. You will have the spotlight instead of that little place you took in the back. People will know your name by the time they leave. Doesn't that just make you absolutely ecstatic?"

"Yeah, totally."

"You don't seem ecstatic."

"I'm sorry. I really am excited. But I don't get off on this stuff like you do."

"Noah! That is no way to describe my happiness over this. We are going to steal the show."

"Hell yeah!" Puck exclaimed.

Two weeks later, Puck was hanging out with Rachel in her bedroom. She's sitting on her bed and he's at her computer. When it came to music, Rachel knew a lot about the classics and Broadway; however her knowledge beyond that was very limited. So she told Puck that he needed to help her. Well actually she told him she had never heard of some band that he was talking about one day and took it upon himself to broaden her musical horizons a little bit. When his phone vibrates in his pocket he's almost reluctant to even see who it is because most likely it's Quinn with some sort of request. When he sees that it's his mother, it's not that much better.

"Hi Mom,"

"Where are you?"

"At a friend's house Ma."

"Quinn?"

"No."

"Mike?"

"No."

"Finn?"

"Hell no. Rachel's Mom. I'm at Rachel's."

"Rachel? Rachel Berry?"

"Yes Mom."

"She's that lovely Jewish girl from glee club is she not?"

"Yeah."

"She's lovely," Puck scoffed because really his mother had not ever really met Rachel, only seen her perform, "If you and Rachel would like to hang out at the house tonight and watch a movie or something feel free."

Puck couldn't help but shake his head at his mother over the phone. She never gave him free reign to bring people over, especially when she was home. Except Finn. But if he wanted the other guys to hang out, she thought it would be too noisy. It was the Jewish thing and that worried Puck.

"Uh, we'll see mom."

"Alright Honey. Have fun."

After quickly hanging up his phone, Puck immediately went back to searching on Rachel's computer.

"What did your mother want?" Rachel asked.

"Just being motherly. She says we can hang out at my place tonight."

"Oh. Is she working late?"

"Not that I know of," Puck said, "We don't have to go over there."

"No, Noah that's fine."

"Are you sure? You're going to have to meet my mom."

"You've met my dads."

"But Rach, my mom is….well she's kind of intense."

"I think I know a thing or two about intense women." Rachel said and they both laughed.

"So you're up for this? If we go over there late enough she won't have that much time to bug you before she goes to bed."

Rachel laughed, "I can't wait to meet your mother Noah."

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AN: A little cliffhanger...R&R!!!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I'M SORRY! Call it severe writer's block and a mixture of no time and laziness! But I'm back and I think after this week I should be back on track. For those of you who read What Makes Us Remember I'm trying to get something together for that A.S.A.P.

Hopefully I still have everyone's attention after all the tomatoes are thrown so I wanna shill some stuff. First off, I'm going to whore my twitter out twitter(dot) com/thatgleekychick it's usually me gushing about how much I love Mark/Puck and/or Lea/Rachel.

Also, I have (along with my Puckleberries on Gleeforum) have created a forum targeted specifically towards fans of Puckleberry! It's called the Puckleberry Lounge. You can find that here: http:/z7(dot)invisionfree(dot) com/puckleberrylounge/index(dot)php . (or check my profile I'm going to add the link there) It's still growing but it's a great place to share your Puckleberry love with other fans!

Okay, I'm done. Enjoy the chapter. Read and Review.. PLEASE..they are my applause and I ,like Rachel Berry, am like Tinkerbell and I need applause to live!

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When Rachel meets Puck's mom it is just like Puck expects it would be. Rachel comes over and immediately Puck's mom is all over her. She wants to know if Rachel wants anything to drink or anything to eat. She asks Rachel about school and her singing. That took A LOT of time. Because she is Rachel Berry and she loves to talk about herself, especially herself when she is singing and Puck's mom asks a lot of questions about singing and glee club, and Puck in glee club. Luckily, for Puck his mom does not take out the baby pictures or anything equally embarrassing. It was when Rachel was telling his mom about the whole sectionals debacle that Puck realized that there was no need for his mom to pull out the baby pictures. Baby pictures were for girlfriends. Rachel wasn't his girlfriend. She was a girl who was his friend and maybe his best friend but she definitely wasn't his girlfriend.

Puck was more than happy when his mom finally left them alone. He liked it better when him and Rachel were alone. No pressure or whatever. Plus, he has an experiment and he really can't do this if other people are around. It's totally cliché and he knows he's going to pay for it afterwards.

"Sit down," he said once his mom was all the way up the stairs.

"Why?" she said hesitantly, knowing very well that he's got that mischievous look on his face that makes her nervous. If she didn't trust him, she would be running out the door.

"Just do it. This will be pay back."

"For what?"

"Uno."

"I thought rock climbing was payback for Uno."

"Do you really think a little rock climbing is going to make up for the hours of board games I played with your dads?"

Rachel sighed and took a seat in the center of Puck's couch, "Fine. What are we doing?"

"Watching a movie."

"That's your payback?"

"We're watching The Strangers."

"I don't believe I've seen that movie. What's it about?"

Puck put the DVD in and turned off all the lights and sat himself down next to her then hit play on the player, "You'll see." was all he said.

Half way through the movie, Rachel is practically in Puck's lap. She hid her eyes in Puck's shoulder and her arms are wrapped around his, clinging on him desperately. Rachel could kill Puck for making her watch this movie. He knew it would freak her out and that's why he made them watch it, she was sure of it. But the suspense and the thrill of the movie was relaxed just a bit when she grabbed onto him. When her fingers laced through his as she shrieked into him she mentally told herself that this was just a movie, it wasn't real. But if it was, she was sure that Puck would protect her.

Holding hands becomes natural. Half the time they don't even realize they are doing it, but everyone around them sees it and they start questioning their relationship. When Mercedes asks Rachel after glee one day she simply replies that they are friends. Kurt then points out the handholding and it is the first time Rachel noticed that they do it. But she doesn't tell Puck, and she doesn't stop doing it.

No one says anything when they show up at school to drive to Regionals holding hands. No one says anything when they sit together on the bus, share Rachel's headphones, and listen to the play list that Rachel let Puck make. Which she doesn't think is bad at all. Give or take a few songs.

When they arrive at the convention center for the competition, Puck and Rachel are standing outside the bus while Rachel is explaining to Puck the difference between regionals and sections when Finn approaches them. Finn still isn't talking to Puck so Puck knows before he even asks to speak with her alone that he's there to talk to Rachel. He makes up an excuse to walk away and goes to talk to Mike and Matt leaving Rachel with Finn.

"Are you dating Puck?" says bluntly.

"What? No."

"I don't believe you. You're always with him."

"We're friends Finn."

"So are we."

"Not lately."

"Look I'm sorry about that. Santana is really in-inces. What's the word?"

"Insistent?"

"Yeah that's it. She's very insistent that I spend a lot of time with her."

"That's not new Finn."

"Huh? Is this about the Grease song, because it was totally San's idea."

Finn's stupidity almost charmed Rachel. He had realized that him doing Grease should have upset her, and that made a little part of ache. But she composed herself before responding, "Whether it's Quinn or Santana, Finn. You can't forget about me and get mad when I spend time with someone else."

"I don't forget about you Rachel. And it's not just someone else. Its not Tina or Kurt, it's Puck. You've seen what he did to me and what he's done to Quinn, and what he's done to you. Puck doesn't do friends with girls. He just sleeps with them and then he dumps them."

"I don't understand how you can have once been Noah's best friend and not know him."

"A couple of weeks hanging out with him doesn't mean you know him. I thought once that yeah he screwed up a bunch but he wasn't a total failure. But that guy wouldn't sleep with my girlfriend. He's using you Rachel."

"For what? We're just friends."

"I don't know Rach. But you can't trust him."

Rachel took a deep breath, "Thank you for your input Finn but your girlfriend looks like she wants to claw my eyes out so if you would excuse me, I'd like to finish this conversation and keep my vision.

Rachel walked away immediately truly fearing the wrath of Santana. She made her way to where Puck was talking with Matt and Mike, and now Brittany and immediately latched onto Puck's hand without thinking.

"What did Finn want?" Puck said looking down at her.

Rachel looked up and smiled, "He had a question about the choreography for 'Hello Goodbye,'" Rachel said without faltering and was suddenly very thankful for her acting skills.

By the time the group had gone through '4-minutes' and 'Don't Go Breakin' My Heart' and finished, 'Hello Goodbye', Rachel was absolutely convinced that no matter what the judges said, they had done the best job they could. But they were going against Vocal Adrenaline and even their best might not be enough to beat the best of the reigning National champions. And as much as Rachel Berry loved winning competitions, her team winning their own personal competition meant more, even if half of her team hated her. And because of this, the second place victory in the competition was a first place victory for the team.

Despite said second place victory, Brittany announced to everyone on the bus that there will be a party at her house later that night. Rachel is completely shocked when Brittany approached her before she got to Puck's truck and told her that she really hoped that she would come. When Rachel and Puck are alone in the truck, Puck turns to Rachel.

"You're going to this party right?"

"Noah, you know I'm not the biggest fan of parties. You know I end up getting left by myself and end up leaving with strange boys." Rachel said smiling while she remembered the party Mercedes had dragged her to. The one which allowed her to connect with Puck.

"What if I promise that you won't be left alone and you can leave with a not so strange boy. It's a New Directions only party."

"Noah. I don't know. They don't exactly like me."

"No. Kurt and Mercedes have jealousy issues. But you heard Brit. She wants you there." Puck flashed a bright, almost Rachel Berry bright, smile which caused Rachel to smile as well.

"I'll need to change."

Somehow (really it was his great power of persuasion) Puck had not only convinced Rachel that she should go to the party, but while they were there he had convinced Rachel to drink. She had protested, but Puck reminded her that she needed to relax and enjoy their second place victory and also that he was not going to let her do anything embarrassing. (Rachel was very adamant that he keep this part of his promise. Because she didn't need to give Kurt or Mercedes anymore to use against her).

But Rachel found that alcohol and being only slightly intoxicated was not all that bad. In fact, Rachel was indeed enjoying herself. Puck watched her from the couch while he was having a discussion with Artie as Rachel danced around with Matt and then Mike. He never knew Rachel could dance like that. Glee didn't allow her to dance the way she was. It was slow and… hot. Yes somewhere in the last week puck had found that everything Rachel did was hot. Not that he didn't notice that she was hot before. He had eyes and he wouldn't have dated her if she weren't hot, even if she was Jewish. But he just noticed more. Puck almost got up to interrupt her and Mike until he saw that Rachel wasn't dancing with Mike anymore. Instead, she had moved on to Finn, and Puck stayed where he was seated. Puck kept an eye out for Santana knowing that she would not be likely to accept Rachel's behavior with Finn. But the Latina was nowhere to be seen. Puck knew despite everything that happened that Rachel still harbored feeling for his former best friend. Despite the discussions that the two had had about Puck's relationship with Quinn (and other girls) every time Puck tried to bring up Finn, Rachel pushed it off claiming there was nothing to say, that Finn was just a schoolgirl crush. But Puck knew that Rachel's crush was more than schoolgirl and innocent. He seriously thought that Rachel was waiting for Finn to come to his senses, sweep her off her feet and drive them off into the sunset. Puck was certain that he was just a replacement until then. Someone to keep her company until her prince rode in on his white horse. But the alternative was to be alone so he accepted his position. Badass or not, no one wants to be alone in the world.

Puck was so wrapped up in his thoughts about Rachel and Finn that he hadn't even heard half of what Artie was saying and suddenly he couldn't find Rachel, or Finn.

"Yeah, dude that's totally awesome," Puck said interrupting Artie, "Did you see where Rachel went?"  
"Uh, no. But I think she's with Finn." Artie said.

"Thanks man," Puck said patting his teammate on the shoulder before getting up off the couch in search for Rachel. He had a promise to keep and he didn't know exactly how much Rachel had drunk. If she did something and remembered it in the morning, and he wasn't there to stop her, she'd surely be pissed. He climbed the stairs and he noticed the door to Brittany's sister's bedroom open slightly and light coming from inside. He walked slowly towards the door stopping when he could make out Finn and Rachel inside.

Through the crack in the door Puck could see Rachel and Finn…kissing. It was sloppy since both of them had been drinking but Puck watched as Finn guided Rachel towards the bed. Puck watched as Finn laid Rachel down on the comforter as he played with the buttons of Rachel's shirt. Puck noticed the control that Finn had and wondered if Santana had somehow managed to cure him of his little issue that Finn had tried to talk to Puck about once. Puck immediately told Finn that they are best friends, but there weren't talking about each other's junk.

Puck debated a minute interrupting the two. But while part of him tried to push his body through the door, the other half closed the door softly so that they wouldn't know anyone was there, and walked back down to the party.

Puck didn't know how much time has passed. He just knows that he comes down just in time to watch Santana and Brittany get back together. The free lesbian action in front of Puck should have held his attention. He should have gone and tried once again to convince both girls to let him join. Because that was the Noah Puckerman way of doing things. But instead, he was leaning against the wall thinking about Rachel Berry, and he exposed skin and how she was exposing her skin to Finn Hudson. Puck was aware of how it wasn't right for him to be thinking of Rachel like that. She had become his friend, his best friend, and sometimes (most of the time) the only person who gave a shit if he lived or died. He shouldn't be jealous that she was upstairs half naked (and probably completely naked at this point) with Finn. Puck rationalized his thoughts by convincing himself that he didn't like Rachel near Finn because then she would have to share her time between the two of them, or she would have to give up Puck completely. He told himself that he didn't really want to be in Hudson's place at that very moment.

Puck was absolutely shocked when Finn comes running down the stairs, nearly knocking into everyone including Artie before charging out the front door. It's then that Puck is pissed. He could handle Finn and Rachel sleeping together. He'd spent the last five minutes convincing himself that everything was going to be fine. But if Finn had just bailed on her like that, he was going to have to pay Finn back for some of those punches he received after baby gate exploded. While everyone else was staring towards the door that Finn had just bailed through, Puck made his way upstairs back towards the door he'd closed not too long before. The door was open again, enough that, before he even reached the threshold, Puck could see Rachel cuddled on the bed, her back facing him, now fully dressed.

"Rach?" Puck said softly as he knocked on the door lightly.

Puck didn't get an answer. He was quiet for a second and listened for tears (because even when they didn't answer when women were crying, Puck could hear them) but there were none. He crossed the threshold into the room and walked towards Rachel, moving around the bed until he could see her face. And that's where he found her, sleeping.

"Rachel?" Puck says again this time leaning down to gentle shake her. Rachel's groggy eyes open for a moment and she when she sees Puck standing there she smiles.  
"You left me alone," she said sleepily.

"Come on sleepyhead. Let's get you home."

"My dads aren't home. They won't know if I stay out."

"Do you really want to spend the night in Brittany's sister's bed instead of your own?"

Rachel shook her head and then tried to sit up on the bed but her head started spinning and she braced herself against the mattress.

"Come on," Puck said leaning down and grabbing Rachel around the waist and helping her into a standing position. He would have carried her out of the house but he was pretty sure that Rachel would have a problem with that later.

Luckily, when they made it to the bottom of the stairs, no one was really paying attention. They were all in the other room and it sounded like a game of Rock Band was going. Puck slipped out the front door with Rachel and got her into the truck. Running around and hopping in himself, he started the truck and looked over at Rachel who had already fallen back asleep. Letting out a rugged breath, Puck checked his emotions. He couldn't be mad at Rachel for being with Finn. They were friends, and if he kept repeating that to himself enough than maybe, he would soon actually believe it. As Puck pulled away from Brittany's house, he decided to take Rachel back to his house rather than take her home. It was closer and her car was there anyway.

Puck tucked Rachel into his bed and left a bottle of water and a couple aspirin on the nightstand. And the trashcan was close to the bed just in case she needed it. He then set some blankets up on the floor. He had finally found a comfortable spot when his phone vibrated.

Rachel felt like someone had hit her really hard in the head. The sunlight was coming through the window and when it pierced her eyes, it almost made everything in her stomach launch itself up. She opened her eyes and automatically was put off when she didn't see her yellow walls. Instead, she noticed the band poster that was for sure part of Puck's room. She sat up slowly, an uneasiness in her stomach. Looking around she couldn't find spot Puck and she knew he wouldn't have slept downstairs. Rachel spotted the water bottle and the aspirin and then noticed that there was a piece of paper tucked underneath. She picked it up, unfolded it, and recognized Puck's handwriting.

_Q went into labor._

_ Take the pills on the nightstand._

_ Then go home_

_ -Puck_


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Sorry about the wait my loyal alerters (this is my most alerted story) but I needed to get moving again with What Makes Us Remember! I really liked the way this chapter turned out. The chapter practically poured from my finger tips and I'm really in love with this story!

Am I suppose to put that I don't own anything in each chapter? Cause I forget a lot of the time, but I don't own anything.

PLEASE R&R! I'll love you all forever. And since I'm doing this for WMUR too, someone can get a one-shot from me. Instead of a certain number reviewer how about the one who gives me the best feedback? Good or bad, let me know!

Okay, on with the show...

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If anything else, Rachel Berry was a determined young woman. And when she set her mind to something, there was almost no way to change it. And when Puck left her a note on the table that Quinn had gone in to labor but he wanted her to go home, Rachel became determined to rebel against his request as hard as she could.

The first thing she did was swallow the pills and drink most of the water left for her. Her headache was not as bad as she had expected but she knew the aspirin would keep it from getting worse, at least for the time being. It was when she looked at her disheveled hair in the mirror of the Puckerman bathroom that Rachel realized that she was not in her clothes, but Puck's. After placing her hair in a more appropriate manner and brushing her teeth with one of the Puckerman's spare toothbrushes, Rachel rushed back into Puck's room and changed back into her clothes from the night before. She didn't care what it looked like as she rummaged through her purse for her sunglasses (which she was sure she was going to need) and her car keys before racing down the stairs and outside to her car.

The entire drive to the hospital Rachel could only think about the half a dozen or so questions that were currently racing through her mind. How long ago had this happened? Why didn't he wake her? (Well she assumed it had to do with the condition she woke up in this morning) Does his mother know? Had Quinn already delivered?

After parking her car in visitor parking Rachel grabbed her bag and raced into the hospital, stopping only as long as it took to ask the front desk where the maternity ward was. She waited impatiently as the elevator moved so slowly Rachel thought it would have been faster for her to take the stairs. When she finally reached her destination, she practically barged onto the quiet floor. There were very few people around just the nurses at the desk, a couple of people waiting without a sound in the chairs. And far across the room she spotted a sight that made her heart tighten just a bit.

Puck was sitting in a chair along the wall. He was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his thigh just above his knee and he was just looking. Rachel knew that he wasn't looking at anything specific and he probably wasn't even aware of anything that his eyes were catching. His green eyes had that far away look that they got when he was thinking or sad. Softly, Rachel made the movements required until she was now across from where she had entered. She was standing next to Puck, but it wasn't until she put her hand on his shoulder and called his name that he was even aware of her presence.

"What are you doing here?" Puck asked not looking at Rachel.

"Did you honestly think I was going to read that note and not come here Noah?"

"I was hoping for it."

Rachel was quiet for a moment as the sting of Puck's words hit her and began to fade, "What happened?"

"Quinn had the baby. I didn't think that I really need to explain that to you."

"Noah-"

"Can you not 'Noah' me right now?"

"Fine. How's Quinn?"

"Wouldn't know. She practically kicked me out of there the second our daughter's new parents came and took her."

Rachel heard the falter in Puck's voice as he tried to remain the badass he prided himself on portraying and her heart ached for the boy in front of her, her friend that was obviously going through some deep emotional issues right now, "How long have you been out here?"

"I don't have a clue. Do you have to keep asking questions? Can you just go?"

"You don't want me here? Does your mother know?"

"DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP ASKING ALL THESE DAMN QUESTIONS RACHEL?" Puck shouted interrupting the once calm waiting room.

As all eyes watched him, Puck jumped from his seat and grabbing Rachel by her elbow he dragged her into an empty hallway.

"I don't know why you're here in the first place, but can you go? I don't want you here which I thought I made pretty obvious in the note I left you."

"I'm your friend Noah and you are here alone dealing with some pretty dramatic stuff all by yourself and I-I thought you would need me."

"Well I don't."

"I'm becoming aware of that Noah."

"Finally," Puck muttered.

"Noah, I don't understand why you are pushing me away from you right now, but I'll chalk this up to a lot of emotional stress and I'll let it slide and I'll go. But please understand that I am going to be here for you when you realize that you need me." Rachel said reaching up and cupping as much of Puck's face that would fit in her tiny hands. She smiles at him but it quickly disappears when he pulls away from her.

Rachel is speechless. She completely understands that Puck's daughter was just brought into this world and then taken from him so fast and because of it he's emotionally all over the place, but they had become so close in the last couple of weeks that for him to push her away, literally and figuratively, left Rachel confused. Before she could question the boy's actions, her phone rang and she rummaged quickly through her purse until she could hold it up and look to see who was calling.

"Let me guess. Finn?" Puck said with venom in his voice.

Rachel looked down at her caller ID to see that it was in fact Finn. With all the mess after she woke up this morning she had forgotten about Finn and the kisses they shared the night before. Everything came rushing back to her and fought the urge to smile in front of Puck.

"Do us both a favor Rachel and take the call," Puck said before walking away down the hallway.

Rachel had missed the call from Finn but called him back once she got back to her car. He invited her over and she told him that she had to still get ready and that she would be there as soon as possible. She quickly ran home and showered, changing out of last night's clothes and into a new skirt and blouse and made sure her hair and make up was flawless. While part of her brain was on her friend that had walked away from her when he needed her, or someone the most, the other was currently trying to keep calm when realizing that Finn Hudson had finally asked her over. She had been waiting for this for months. She remembered the night before when Finn had danced with her and then told her that he and Santana had broken up and that he wanted to talk to her. She followed him upstairs and when he kissed her, her heart exploded. She had been waiting for this, it had been what she wanted, and all the pieces were falling into place. But unfortunately his mother had called and was screaming at him to get home immediately and he had to rush out of there after apologizing profusely.

After Rachel was certain that she looked her best, she left her house in pursuit of the Hudson house. During the drive, (though she knew it was highly dangerous) Rachel constantly checked her cell for text messages from Puck. She really hated that she left him at the hospital to go off and do whatever it was he was going to do. But there was no use for Rachel to sit around and wait for him to calm down while avoiding the other parts of her life. She pulled in front of Finn's house and walked the path to the front porch and knocked. She stood there nervously for reasons she was unsure of. There was a time that Finn was the only person that she had, her only real friend and she was comfortable around him. But that was a long time ago. _But he's the same sweet Finn_. Rachel reminded herself as Finn opened the door with that big dopey smile that made her heart melt. When he moved to the side to let her into the house, she thanked him accordingly. Finn led them to his living room and Rachel took a seat on the couch.

"Would like anything?" he asked politely.

"No thank you," Rachel said, "Did someone tell you about Quinn?"

Finn's eyes quickly snapped in Rachel's direction.

"Uh, no. Is she alright?"

"I-I don't know. But she had the baby."

"Oh, uh. Wh-Where d-?"Finn stuttered.

"The hospital."

"No, uh, where's the baby now?"

"Noah said the adoptive parents Quinn picked had taken her already."

"P-Puck was there?"

"I would suppose so. When I woke up this morning, there was a note on the night table that said that Quinn had gone into labor and when I arrived at the hospital, she had already given birth and Noah was waiting outside in the waiting room. He was rather testy so I didn't get a lot of information from him."

"Wait! Puck spent the night at your house?"

"No, I spent the night as his house. I was most definitely not in any condition to drive last night and my car was at his house. That part of the night is a little fuzzy but it would have been more convenient to for him to just keep me at his house."

"I'm surprised you aren't with him now," Finn said sitting down on the couch next to her.

"I would have been had he not pushed me away. I don't understand why he's doing it. I mean I understand that he has basically just lost his daughter, but if anything else right now he needs people around him and while for obvious reasons you and he have still not mended your friendship, he doesn't have that many people that he can rely on and I was really hoping that he wouldn't lock himself away and he would let me in and do all the things that he keeps saying friends do for each other but he was really testy and I really don't know why. I didn't do anything wrong. At least I don't think I did anything wrong! Oh god! What if I said or did something last night and I don't remember it and he's really mad at me for it. What if-"

Rachel's monologue was interrupted when Finn leaned in and kissed her. Once Rachel got over the shock of it all she relished in it. It was soft and sweet and then when Finn's hand came up to cup her cheek she smiled into his lips.

"You're a good friend Rachel. I know. But you should focus on yourself more than others sometimes."

Rachel just nodded.

"Look Rachel, I get that it took me a long time to realize that I wanted to be with you. Santana was just using me to make Brittany jealous, which kind of sucks, but I didn't really like her anyway, not like I like you."

"Finn, what are you saying?"

"That I want us to be together. Like officially. Like we should have been a long time ago. What do you say?"

Rachel nodded and leaned forward to kiss Finn again.

Monday morning the rumor mills were buzzing. The weekend had produced a plethora of gossip to be spread like wildfire. Rachel was rather upset when the whispers that seemed to follow her around the hallways had nothing to do with the Glee Club placing second at Regionals. Instead, the school was buzzing about Quinn giving birth, how Puck was missing, Santana and Brittany were together again, and as soon as Rachel and Finn walked in the building holding hands, the gossipmongers, especially Jacob Ben-Israel, were at it again.

When Rachel walked into glee that afternoon she wasn't surprised that Quinn was nowhere to be seen. However, she was a little disappointed when Puck wasn't there as well. Sure the rumors were going around that no one could get a hold of him, and after talking to Mike and Matt during lunch, she confirmed this was true. But still she hoped that he would show up to Glee. It was the final official meeting of the school year. But by the time that Mr. Shuester called order to the room, there were only ten.

By coming in second at Regionals, New Directions had luckily secured Glee Club's future. However, that also meant that New Directions would not be moving on to Nationals. Mr. Shuester thanked them all for their hard work and reminisced about the time there were only five members of New Direction and nearly broke into tears when he talked about how he almost quit to become an accountant and how happy he was that the club was able to bring him back with their performance of Don't Stop Believin'. The moment Mr. Shuester was finished, Rachel immediately got up to argue that New Directions should begin rehearsal immediately for next years Sectionals, but that was quickly shot down by the director who then requested that they all enjoy the rest of the school year and the summer before focusing again on show choir.

"What are you doing this afternoon? Do you want to come over?" Finn asked after Mr. Shuester dismissed the group.

"I was actually going to go see if Noah will talk to me. Maybe he's had a chance to deal with some of what happened Saturday night and his outburst yesterday."

"Uh Rachel. I really don't want you talking to Puck. You understand that right?"

"No Finn, I'm sorry but I don't."

"He took my girl before and I really don't want to take any chances and have it happen again."

"He's my friend Finn. He needs me right now."

"And we're dating."

"So you're saying you don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. But I trusted Quinn too and look how that turned out."

"Finn this isn't fair."

"What he did to me wasn't fair Rachel," Finn said, "Look, think it over and get back to me."

Finn adjusted the grip on his backpack and walked out of the choir room leaving Rachel with the choice that he had presented. Was this truly an ultimatum? Probably. She was going to have to choose between her relationship with Puck and her relationship with Finn. Then she realized that this was going to be the hardest decision that she'd have to make so far in her young life. This was more critical than weather she was going to go see Wicked or RENT when they only had room for one show during one of the trips her and her father's had taken to New York City.

Rachel made her way to her car and let out a gigantic sigh when she settled herself in and the mix CD she made the night before came through the speakers. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and found Puck's number. She called him and when it went to voicemail, she shut her phone. She opened it one more time and found Puck's number again but instead she sent him a text message.

_I'd really appreciate it if you'd call me and just let me know you're all right Noah._

Rachel shut her phone putting it on silent and then back into her pocket. She wasn't going to spend the entire ride home pretending she heard her phone vibrate. She put the car in gear, turned the music up, and headed home thinking about the decision at hand.

When Puck doesn't respond to her text by seven o'clock that night Rachel is beginning to get frustrated. She even called him again before dinner, and her Dads were less than thrilled when she kept checking her phone and insisted at one point that there was something wrong with their connection.

Rachel was all but fuming when the time came for her to start her nightly routine. She mumbled to herself as she brushed her hair out, brushed her teeth for the allotted amount of time, and applied her nightly face cleansers. By the time she crawled into bed, she had checked her phone every thirty seconds for the last hour. Pulling the blankets up she reached for her phone last time. She knew there wouldn't be anything waiting for her but she scrolled through her phonebook and stopped before she reached Puck's name.

_He won't talk to me. You have nothing to worry about._

Rachel sent the text to Finn and turned her phone on silent turning it upside down on her nightstand so she wouldn't see when it went off. She tried to be happy, she had Finn and that was what she wanted most right? But as she fell asleep her boyfriend (she assumed it was official now) was not who was on her mind, it was the boy she hadn't spoken with or seen in days. It was her friend who she wanted so desperately to talk to.

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R&R PLEASE!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: So this really isn't a new chapter but let me explain what happened. Before I started writing this chapter I had a scene written and I loved it. But my laptop has since died (R.I.P) and I lost the scene. When I went and wrote this chapter without it the ending changed. But I found the original scene written in the notebook I write my fanfiction in and I realized that it had to be added to the chapter. So for the most part this chapter has not changed. The scene that has changed is the scene between Rachel and Puck in Puck's living room. I needed the change to happen otherwise I was stuck for the rest of the story. So please forgive me! But now that I'm unstuck (for the most part) I am at work on Chapter 8.

Okay enjoy the revised chapter (or if this is the first time reading, enjoy it all together)!

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It was the last day of her sophomore year and Rachel was actually looking forward to her summer. Her and Finn had been dating for a couple of months now and though she had moments where she wondered what she'd gotten herself into, she really enjoyed her relationship with Finn. Like right now, while she was pulling the last of her things out of her locker before inspection, she was rambling (and she knew it) on and on about the summer music program that she was still waiting on a response from but she was almost certain that she would be getting in. She continued on about how that would affect the time the two planned to spend together but only during the week and he would certainly want that time to be spent with his friends. And as she continued to speak in a speed that she learned to control in order for Finn to understand her, she realized that Finn was just staring. Not at anything specifically, not really at her, but he was just looking. And Rachel was almost certain that he probably wasn't listening to most of what she was saying. Rachel has noticed this has been happening for a while now and although she really would prefer the attention, she thinks that maybe this is all right. Because they aren't really having an important conversation that requires his attention, yet he's still just letting her talk. And she realizes that he does that a lot. She'll be talking and occasionally Finn will throw in a totally or a yeah but most of the time Rachel's pretty sure that is mind is elsewhere. Of course, she hated that every time she reminded herself that Finn barely paid attention, she also reminded herself of another boy. A boy who, if he had something to say about the topic, would say it. It didn't matter if they were talking about Wicked and the only thing he had to say was that he liked that the total stud didn't end up with the crazy blonde chick even if she went on to be loved by everyone. Or when they were deciding where to go for dinner if she suggested Chinese, which she usually did, and he felt more like pizza he'd tell her that they were getting pizza. Finn on the other hand never seemed to argue when Rachel suggested Chinese and now she'd eaten it so much in the last two weeks that she's pretty sure she's done with Chinese food for a very long time. And that was another thing, Finn didn't argue. Rachel got her way on pretty much everything. And while Rachel was very happy to have things her way, she would have liked if Finn had given more of a fight. So if Rachel wanted to watch Wicked for the third time that month, Finn should step in and say that he would like to watch, something more manly, something with blood and sex and gore that Rachel would probably detest but she knew that if she was going to make Finn watch a musical, he should at least try to get her to watch something else. She was even prepared to let him win a few times, but there was nothing, no fight, no how about we not, no I don't want to, just Finn putting in the DVD and taking his place next to her on the couch in her living room.

She'd met his mother once and only once because for some reason Finn seemed to have this fear of Rachel being at his house. She wasn't sure if that was truly the case but she realized soon that everything they did was at her house, on her couch, in her bed. Like everything else that she and Finn didn't do, Rachel wondered only for short moments if it had something or even everything to do with his previous girlfriends. Quinn was, well Quinn. She lived in his house, she did who knows what else in there and they'd already had the discussion that yes Finn and Santana did the nasty, and she and Finn had both agreed that waiting until their relationship was more matured was the best plan for the both of them, but still while Rachel assumed the sheets on his bed were clean, it was still the same bed Finn had been intimate with another girl in. But glancing at Finn once more before she shut her locker, finally rid of everything she needed to do to finish the school year, Rachel noticed something behind her boyfriend. Someone really. She noticed the boy who she hadn't spoken two in months, the boy that was once her best friend, and the boy who she thought about every single day.

Puck stood in the hallway of McKinley waiting for Matt. He got extremely impatient however when he looked over and saw Finn and Rachel at Rachel's locker. It would be just like Matt to unintentionally put him in an awkward situation. He hadn't talked to Rachel in just over two months, the length of time she had been dating Finn, and just seeing her made him want to run in the other direction. But he had told Matt that he was going to meet him in this exact spot and Matt's parents had taken away his phone so there was no way to get a hold of the boy.

Puck shuffled back and forth, making sure that his eyes avoided the scene playing out around him, mentally willing Matt to hurry from wherever the hell he was. He wanted to get out of that school and leave every bit of his sophomore year behind him. As Rachel and Finn walked past him, neither paying any mind to him Puck cursed the last nine months of his life, the last year really. The train wreck started the moment he slept with Quinn. Thinking back, Puck wasn't sure what it was about her that made him want her, what made her different from all the other Cheerios who had thrown themselves at him? He didn't know what made him call her and go to her house while her parents were at some social event. And he could say that he hated that day, and he could say that he regretted it and would continue to regret it until the day he died, and while he would, he couldn't deny the fact that that night he and Quinn created their daughter. The one he was going to love until the day he died even though she was never going to know him, thanks to Quinn.

He could say that he hated Quinn. But he loved her just the same. He hated her for taking his daughter away from him, but he loved her for being her mother. He loved her for carrying her for nine months, for giving birth to her. Of course, his love for her was nothing more than a man has for the mother of his child. But he dealt with his feelings for Quinn every day. He wished that he had someone to talk about those feelings with, like Rachel had been for all that time. But now his only friends were Matt and Mike and he and Rachel weren't talking. Although that thought hurt Puck a little, he knew that all of it was entirely his fault. He pushed her away after his daughter was born, he didn't return the numerous phone calls, and he didn't approach her in the halls on the days he knew Finn was out sick. Rachel had tried to be the friend that she had been but Puck was the one who closed himself off. And there were numerous reasons. There were his previously mentioned feelings about Quinn and his daughter but then there was the obvious that couldn't be denied any longer. Rachel had been in love with Finn since before Puck had even gotten to know her. Before he even joined glee, Rachel Berry had her sights set on Finn Hudson, he knew that. And that wasn't a problem until some part of him, one that he couldn't understand, had a problem with it. There was part of him that found that the idea of walking with Rachel hand in hand down the middle of the crowded hallway wasn't entirely horrid. There was a time when watching her sing would make him feel like he was hearing the most beautiful voice in the world. Now watching her sing gave him those feelings, and the urge to walk right up to her and kiss her. And watching her kiss Finn at the party all those months ago made him feel some unknown feeling that he was still trying to avoid calling jealousy. So maybe he had developed some kind of non-friendship feelings for Rachel in the last couple of weeks before their friendship had ended, maybe months even. But Puck knew where he stood with Rachel. And while he may have had these feelings, and liked that Rachel made him feel good about himself by telling him all the ways in which he was great (at least the ways that didn't require knowledge of his sexual prowess) but the bottom line was that Rachel was into Finn, and the whole time that Puck was hanging out with Rachel, he was just acting as a fill in until her beloved knight came to get her on his horse.

The one time Finn asked her to do something for him is when he asked her to go with him to a party that one of the football players was throwing. Finn knew how much Rachel hated parties and she had turned down his invitation several times during the school year. She hadn't been to one since the night she and Finn kissed, and pretty much vowed to never attend another party for the consequences for her drinking were far too high. But this was the first big bash of the summer and Finn had asked her to go. She would have declined once again if she hadn't heard a twinge of desperation in his voice. Like there was something on the line and if she didn't go, Finn was going to lose. Add all of that to the fact that Finn never really asked her to do anything for him, Rachel agreed.

Andrew Linder's house was crowded with people, loud with music, and Rachel was certain she could smell a certain illegal substance radiating from somewhere inside the house. When Finn asked her if she wanted a drink, she declined and waited by the staircase as Finn went to get something for himself. Looking around Rachel realized this was the main reason she hated parties. She knew no one. At the last party, it was gleeks and the one before, as disastrous the experience was, she at least had Mercedes for a little bit and eventually she had Puck. She wondered if Puck was here. But inside somewhere, she knew he was. This was a party thrown by a football player, and Puck was, well, Puck and would always show up at a party. When Finn returned with his drink and a bottle of water for her, Rachel thanked him before she followed him into a crowded room full of boys and a few girls who Rachel assumed were girlfriends of said boys, who were playing some kind of video game. Taking a seat next to Finn, Rachel wasn't sure why there were video games being played at a party but pushed the thought away after accepting that it was probably just another high school tradition that she was unaware of. Rachel watched as the boys, including Finn got loud and excited at the game in front of them, their girlfriends rolling their eyes, some even walked out of the room.

After what felt like an eternity, Rachel excused herself to use the washroom. If she had known anyone else at the party she would have gone off a long time ago, but even months of dating Finn hadn't raised her popularity much. She was still virtually a stranger in this world that she found herself in. Maneuvering her way through the crowds of people who were dancing in the living room, she found the staircase and climbed it, thankful that it was a little quieter on the upper levels of the house. If Rachel hadn't looked up to ponder her surroundings she wouldn't have seen him but down the hall stood Puck, staring right at her. She didn't move for a moment and it was like one of those scenes you see in movies where time kind of just stands still and everything moves really slowly. Rachel contemplated saying something to Puck. She had months of harbored anger and other emotions bottled up inside. She wanted answers; she wanted to know why he kicked her out of his life. But as time seemed to catch up with her Puck was charging past her and the opportunity was gone. Sure, she could chase him down and demand that he speak with her, but really what could he say that would fix the months that he ignored her? She wasn't sure there was anything. Forgetting her initial reason for being away from Finn, she walked back downstairs, her eyes darting all around for a glimpse of Puck but she knew she wouldn't find him. She knew that just like that day, the day they became friends that Puck had already run out of the house, probably to the lake, hopefully with a designated driver. When she approached Finn, she struggled to keep her usual bright demeanor visible to everyone.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked and Rachel briefly relished in the fact that he was observant enough to see through her attempt to at least look normal.

"I'm not exactly feeling well. I'd like for you to take me home."

"Uh," Finn said looking around as if to tell her that he didn't want to leave the party, "Sure."

"There's plenty of time left you can come back afterward." Rachel added as the permission that Finn seemed to be seeking.

Finn nodded and ushered them outside to his car. The car ride home was quiet. Rachel didn't feel like talking at all and she could tell that Finn was getting nervous because of it. Truth be told she needed a little bit of something, some sound to block out the repetition of Puck walking away from her that played over and over in her head. Each time she saw it she tried to find something that she could have done to make him stay. She tried to find something that let her know that he was okay. Something that let her know he still cared. But every time she just saw the pain that was etched on his face. She remembered the way his jaw clenched as he tried to control his anger. But maybe she wanted him to be angry with her that way she would know what she'd done wrong. And then maybe, just maybe she could move on with her life instead of spending every night thinking about the day in the hospital, how he threw their friendship away and walked away from her. Rachel didn't want to talk because all she wanted to do was cry. Because deep inside of her she knew that Puck walking away from her tonight, broke her heart. There was no way she could explain this to Finn or anyone really. She had no one.

When Finn pulled into her driveway Rachel kissed him on the cheek, told him to go back to the party and that she would call him the next day before heading into her house. Thankful that her Dads were sound asleep in their bedroom Rachel quickly got into her pajamas and got into bed. Once the lights were turned off Rachel looked up at the ceiling for a moment before she turned onto her side and cuddled with her blankets. She thought back to that day in the hospital, and that very night in some football players house and it all became too much. A single tear fell from her eye before the flood gates opened moments later and Rachel's body shook as it ached. She cried because she lost a friend, a best friend. She cried because she lost someone who had in a short period of time had become one of the most important fixtures in her life. When Rachel's Dad asked the first time where Puck had disappeared to Rachel lied for him. But Rachel knew that her parents were suspecting something was up when one night before going to sleep, her Dad walked into her room and sat down beside her on her bed. "He'll come back" was all he said and as Rachel watched her father walk out of the room, she wondered if he was right. But now in the darkness of her room, with the tear soaked pillow, Rachel Berry cried herself to sleep because her Dad was all wrong. There was no way that Puck was coming back to her.

When Rachel woke up the next morning, her head was pounding from the crying the night before. But her attitude had suddenly changed. From the moment her eyes opened and she saw the bright sun outside, Rachel Berry was a very motivated young woman. Getting up she immediately did her morning exercise routine, had her shake, showered, was dressed, made sure her hair was perfectly curled just the way she wanted it to before walking down the stairs to her Dads at the dining room table working.

"I'll be back in a little bit."

"Isn't it a little early to be going out with Finn honey?"

"I'm not going out with Finn. Don't worry; I'll be back before lunch."

"All right Sweetie" was the last thing Rachel heard before she bolted out the door and to her car.

Pulling out the driveway with an intensity she knew one should not possess while operating a vehicle, Rachel made her way to down the streets of Lima. When she reached her destination Rachel pulled into the driveway, got out of her car, marched up to the door and rang the doorbell several times. When there was no answer after a few moments, she rang the doorbell repetitively again.

It was only a moment more when she could hear the sound of someone coming down the stairs and she knew that she would finally be greeted. When the door opened in front of her, she wasn't entirely shocked to see Puck, half asleep, wearing nothing more than a pair of sweat pants.

"Go away," Puck said closing the door only to have Rachel use all of her strength to stop the door from closing as Puck pushed on it.

"No. Noah, we need to talk."

"There isn't anything to say Rachel."

"You might not have anything to say, but I do. And I'd really appreciate it if you'd listen to me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because," Puck said, "Just because."

"That's not a good enough answer Noah."

"Well that's the only answer you're going to get."

"Is that what you want Noah? To just push me away for a reason I'm completely unsure of. Do you want me to yell on your front porch Noah? Do you want me to make a scene so that the next time one of the neighbors talk to your mother they're going to tell you how crazy Rachel Berry was screaming on your doorstep because you wouldn't let her in? Do you really want to deal with your mother instead of me?"

"CHRIST!" Puck shouted moving to the side to give Rachel room to come in, "Get in here before I feel the need to duct tape your mouth shut."

Rachel smiled for only a moment and entered the Puckerman home.

"Rachel whatever you're selling, I'm not buying."

"I'm not selling anything Noah. I'm trying to explain to you how I feel."

"How you feel? Rachel I don't care."

"You did once."

"Maybe."

"No Noah. I know you did. Right now isn't the time for your badass façade. I see right through it Noah."

"Jeez! I'm obviously not going to be able to get rid of you so just say your piece so you can leave."

Rachel took a deep breath and Puck watched Rachel got that look on her face that she only got before long-winded talks or right before performances.

"You hurt me Noah. I get that you were and probably still are hurting too, but you hurt me. We were friends, you agreed to it yourself but you walked away from me in the hospital, you didn't returned any of my numerous calls, texts and emails, you walked away from me last night and you hurt me every single time. I'm not going to judge you for why you did it Noah, and I'm not expecting some long thought out speech because I know you won't give me one. But the only thing you have to do to make things right between us Noah is tell me the truth. Just tell me why you pushed me away and why you haven't spoken to me in months."

Puck looked at the girl in front of him. The girl that for all these months he'd longed to hold, and talk to, and just be around. He debated with himself what the right thing to do was. He could tell her the truth, the whole truth, or he could send her away with a fake story or even no story at all. Either way, he knew that Finn wasn't going to let her hang around him, not like they used to so he was going to lose. So Puck stood silent in front of Rachel contemplating the two evils in front of him. The look Puck saw in Rachel's eyes was hope, and he wondered why she even bothered after all the time that had passed.

"Why now Rachel?" he asked verbalizing his thoughts.

"I've wondered every day since that day in the hospital. Even if for whatever reason you hate me, I can't keep running into you and being hurt when you run away."

"I don't hate you."

"You've done a really great job of making me think differently."

"What do you want me to say Rach?"

Rachel's heart tightened a bit at her nickname, "The truth; However ugly or dirty or complicated. I want to hear the truth from you."

Puck took a deep breath, "The truth could destroy everything."

"I still want to hear it."

Puck paused for a moment, knowing Rachel was telling the truth, "Fine you want the truth here it is. I pushed you away at the hospital because I couldn't deal with you. And I promise that sounds a lot worse than it was. I needed you there, God did I hope that you could have been there. We talked all the time about all the things that we did that made us friends and you were right that day when you said that it wasn't the time to push you away, but there wasn't going to be a better time. I lost my daughter and I was about to lose my best friend."

"I wasn't going anywhere."

"Not at that moment you didn't think you were, but you would have. Finn wouldn't want you anywhere near me and can you blame him? I had already taken one girlfriend from him and knocked her up to boot."

"I don't let Finn make those decisions in my life Noah."

"You would have given up your relationship with Finn, the one you've wanted since forever just to be friends with me?"

"I wouldn't have to. I would have explained to Finn," Rachel started, "He would have accepted it."

"No, he wouldn't. You really think your picture of Finn is perfect don't you?"

"None of that is worthy of the title of destruction Noah," Rachel said avoiding the question.

"The night before Quinn gave birth, we were at the party, and I went to find you but I found you in Brittany's brother's bedroom with Finn on the bed. And I saw you and I felt like the entire friendship we'd created was disappearing."

"You're upset because I made out with Finn?" Rachel asked and when Puck doesn't respond she continues, "You were supposed to stop me from doing anything embarrassing."

She's laughing, but Puck's face remains emotionless, "I would have thought that would bre what you wanted."

"Not in an inebriated state."

"So if Finn would have come to you sober it would have been different?" Puck asked, his voice covered in anger. It's Rachel's turn to be silent, "Answer me Rachel."

"I don't know…I don't."

"But I need you to know. You need to know."

"Why does it even matter?"

Puck didn't say anything but he closed the space between them and presses his lips against hers, hard and its desperate. He placed one hand against her cheek, the other tangled in her hair. He'd wanted to do that for weeks and it felt so good to finally feel again what it felt like to kiss Rachel Berry. He smiled into her mouth when he felt her kiss him back and chose that moment to break from her, his hand still in her hair. Puck leaned his forehead against Rachel's and whispered, "That's why it matters."

It only took Rachel a minute to regain herself and pull away from the boy in front of her.

"Noah…"

"You need to know Rachel."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because you needed to know."

"Noah, I'm dating Finn. You're going to do this to him…again?"

"No. If Finn is what you want Rachel, then I'm not going to cause a scene. But you just needed to know."

Rachel was getting frustrated with Puck's constant repetition of that phrase. She 'needed to know' a lot according to Puck. Rachel thought about Puck's words for a moment and attempted to control the heat that was rising to her face despite Puck's vague description, "So what is this? Sexual attraction."

"Damn Rachel no. Though if you'd let me I'd push you against the wall and not let you go until I'd done things that I'm sure the simple mention of would make you blush. These months that we haven't been talking have been unbelievably difficult. If it was just about sex, I could have gotten over it. I could have moved on to the next Cheerio who would put out in a heartbeat, I could have pretended she was Rachel Berry and the whole thing would have been out of my system. But I've actually missed you. Like in a way that I miss you just being there. I missed being able to open up to someone without worrying about someone else finding out and calling me a pussy. I miss listening to you sing in the car on the way to the lake, and those stupid movies and television shows you made me watch. I miss when you come out from underneath the scary Rachel that makes everyone at school look at you funny and you actually become really cool Rach who lets me convince her to watch movies with more sex and violence in them than you want to handle. I really just have missed you."

"Are you saying that you love me?"

"What? No," Puck said quickly, "Maybe a little."

"What are you expecting Noah? I'm with Finn." Rachel repeated.

Puck stood for a moment trying to decide if Rachel bringing up Finn was a blow to his heart or her trying to hide her own feelings, "I'm not expecting anything. But now you know how I feel. And whether we're friends after this or not I hope you can keep this in the friendship confidentiality category. Unless though you feel the same way, at least a little."

"You really can't just be friends with a girl can you?"

"Doesn't look like it."

"So what now?"

"Balls in your court Berry. If you think about it and realize that you're still madly, deeply, stupidly in love with Hudson, I'll bow out gracefully. But if you realize that maybe I'm not in this thing alone, then just come running and I'll be here."

"So that's it?"

"That's it."

"I have to go," Rachel said turning quickly and walking out of the house and back to her car before Puck could get anything else in.

She pulled out of the driveway and began driving back towards her house but half way there, she had to pull over because the tears that were falling from her eyes were making it rather difficult to drive. Rachel pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park and cried similar to how she did the night before. She had always thought that finding out why Noah had pushed her away would have been easier. She never in her wild imagination thought that the conversation she was so determined to have would end with a kiss and a confession of feelings and of love. Rachel tried to control her breathing and the tears that rushed down her face, but only found that it just became harder to breath. She wasn't sure why until it dawned on her, she never said that she didn't love him back. But did she? And the burning of her lips reminded her that for a moment she kissed him back. Was it possible that the feelings that Puck were feeling for her were harbored somewhere deep inside her? That they hadn't appeared yet? Or maybe they had and she was just trying desperately to ignore them. The only thing Rachel knew at that moment was that she was entirely too confused. This was why when her phone rang and Finn's name appeared on the Caller ID, Rachel ignored the call. Finally composing herself, Rachel went back to her house, got back into her pajamas and spent the rest of the day in bed. She knew that she would be able to do know the right thing to do with a little time on her own.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Yay no epically long breaks this time!

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Rachel wished she could say her decision was easy. She wished she could say that it was only a matter of following her heart, but it wasn't easy and her heart was broken into a million pieces.

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When Finn called a third time that afternoon, Rachel finally answered. But when Finn tried to make plans for that evening, she told him (well really lied to him) that she wasn't feeling well (which really at that moment wasn't entirely untrue) and that she would call him when she was feeling better. She couldn't give him a timetable because she honestly had no idea how long it was going to take for her to feel better.

But she knew what she needed to do. This was going to require a full and very thorough Rachel Berry analysis. It would take charts and lists and diagrams. Sure, it was probably overkill but this was too important not to cover EVERY base.

There was Puck, her _Noah_. Her best friend who she missed terribly. She wanted things with him to go back to normal. She wanted him to sit her down and force her to watch horror movies. But she thought that it was those movies that complicated everything. The night they watched The Strangers and she found that the only place she felt safe with practically in Puck's lap, grabbing on to his hand for dear life. The hand holding started that night and while it was an unusual and unique behavior, it felt like the most natural thing, and if she was honest with herself, it was more natural than holding the hand of her boyfriend. And that was a problem because Finn was her boyfriend, not Puck. But now Puck was telling her that he had feelings, that there was love involved. And the thing that repeated in her head was when he told her that maybe she was in this with him. Did she love him too? Were there feelings there that went deeper than friendship? Had she never realized them? So many questions filled her brain, of course she loved him, he was her best friend. But that wasn't the kind of love he was talking about. It was the love that people wrote books and poems about. It was the love that she was sure that Noah Puckerman was capable of, but never in a million years thought would be pointed in her direction. Sure he was attractive, that went without saying, but she wondered for a moment if that clenching in her heart when she thought about him all those days he wasn't around was because she missed him, or if it was mixed with something different.

But there was always Finn. Since the first time they sang together in their first glee rehearsal, Rachel's eyes had been set on Finn Hudson. He was her leading man. They were expected to be together, she'd said it herself, the stunning ingénue and the hot male lead. It was destiny wasn't' it? And maybe Finn had hurt her a few times but he found her way to her hadn't he? Puck was wrong; he wasn't holding a place until Finn came. Rachel did really enjoy being around Puck. She loved their conversations and she felt like she could tell him anything. More than Finn even. But there was always Finn. It had been Finn all along. She'd wanted him since the beginning. Why change that now?

And it was in that moment Rachel realized that she was on a path, and that path included Finn Hudson. He fit. And that was that. There shouldn't have been a debate in the first place. If Rachel Berry wanted to be the star that she knew she was going to become, she had to follow the path that had been set up by countless others. She needed to be with her leading man, it was the only way she was going to stay on her path.

So she doesn't call Puck, she doesn't know how to tell him the decision she's made. And truth is she doesn't want to tell him. How do you tell the person whose been there for you for months, the person you've spent so much time with and the person you really want in your life that you don't want them in your life? How do you break the heart of the boy who just told you he loved you? You don't. And although Rachel knew that he couldn't ignore Puck forever, she sure as hell wasn't going to go out of her way to be see him, not now.

When Rachel called Finn, he told her he was happy that she was feeling better and Rachel asked him if he wanted to come over and hang out with her that night. But she could hear Finn's hesitation when she wanted to add her Dads to their plans. They were set to go away on one of their business trips again and she wanted to spend time with them before they left. And she thought it would give Finn a good opportunity to get to know her Dads, and her Dads Finn. Because really if this was going to go anywhere, the men in her life would have to at least get along.

"We don't have to, it's fine," she replied to him.

"No, no," Finn said obviously petrified, "That's fine. I'll be over in a couple hours."

When Finn accepted she was happy. All the pieces were in place. And since she knew that Puck wasn't going to tell anyone about that kiss, and she sure as hell wasn't going to tell anyone about it either, everything was the way it was supposed to be

Finn quickly hung up with her and she wondered why Finn was so afraid to be around her Dads. She doesn't want to but she can't help but think of the night her and Puck played board games with them. He was so relaxed, so willing, nothing like the way Finn was behaving. But then she thought that maybe, despite Puck's bad history with dads, that it was because he wasn't her boyfriend, he was there as her friend.

Unfortunately, Finn and Rachel's night in with her fathers didn't go as well as Rachel had hoped. Her Dads wanted to try out their new cookbook, the one Rachel had gotten them for their anniversary, and while trying to bake, Finn ended up dropping a lot of it on the floor, which angered Sheldon and Benjamin, and embarrassed Finn. Rachel tried to get them to do something different, board games, a movie anything but it seemed like Rachel's Dads weren't really up for anything else and went up to their room really early and Finn and Rachel just watched a movie on her couch, they didn't even make out. And when Finn left for the evening, he apologized and kissed her only lightly before heading home.

* * *

What possessed Rachel to go to another party with Finn was lost on even her. She thought maybe it was to make up for the horrible time Finn had with her Dads. She was really beginning to think that there was no such thing as fun at the parties she attended. But when she agreed to go, she failed to take into consideration that Puck was most likely going to be at this party, and she had yet to tell him that she had made a decision. And she should not have been as surprised when she ran into him the moment they walked out of Finn's car. He was on the front yard of whoever's house it was and he was talking to some guy in a football jersey. Finn didn't pay him any mind but Rachel saw the look on his face, it's Puck, but she can see her Noah through the façade and she can tell she's blindsided him, and she pretty sure this gnawing feeling in her chest is guilt. When Finn looked back at her all Rachel could do was smile as she approached her boyfriend.

"I'll meet you inside," Rachel said putting her hand on Finn's forearm.

"Rachel…" Finn whined.

"Finn. I'll meet you inside," she repeated.

Finn nodded and looked over at Puck with a less than thrilled look on his face but went forward anyway. Once Finn was inside the house Rachel turned and made her way towards Puck. He was still talking to whoever he was talking to but Rachel didn't really care at this point that she was interrupting.

"Can I talk to you?" Rachel said.

"I'm a little busy."  
"I promise you this will only take a minute," Rachel said.

"I'll catch up with you later dude," the nameless jock said before he walked away.

"What Rachel?" Puck said.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I should have told you. Or not come tonight. I should have known you'd be here."

"Look Rachel I told you that whatever you choose I'm not going to be angry with you. Some warning would have been nice but it is what it is."

"And what is it now? I mean us?"  
"I don't know. We can't go back to what we were though."

"Why not?"

"Because I doubt Finn would be okay with us holding hands."

"Then we won't do that. We don't need to do that to be friends Noah."

"You're right. But right now I don't think it's a good idea."

"I can accept that."

They stood there, quiet for a moment.

"You should get back to your boyfriend."

Rachel just nodded because really she wasn't sure what was left to be said in that moment and turned away and walked inside the house and found Finn almost immediately, like he'd been watching them somehow. She doesn't see Puck for the rest of the night.

* * *

When Finn dropped her off at home, he followed her to the front door. And when he leaned in to kiss her something caused her to stiffen, the moment Finn's lips touched hers. The kiss felt different and Rachel couldn't tell if it's her sudden reluctance to kiss her boyfriend, or that maybe, just maybe, she was kissing the wrong boy.

"You alright?" Finn asked pulling away.

"No. I don't think so." Rachel said hesitantly.

"It's Puck isn't it?"

"I don't know."

"You've been acting strange since you talked to him."

Rachel doesn't say anything. She knows that this conversation could lead down a path once visited and hopefully never returned to again.

"He's into you," Finn continued, "I can tell. And you're into him too aren't you?"

"Finn…"

"I've known for a while. Before we started dating even. I think part of me knew that if I didn't move soon he'd sweep you off your feet. But it seems I was too late."

"That's not true. He asked me to choose," Rachel confessed, "And I chose you.

"But you're lying to yourself, and to me. Neither of us deserves that, not after the year we've had."

"I care about you Finn."

"And I care about you. It's just that your heart isn't in it anymore. I think that maybe once it did…"

"It did. We were supposed to be together."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I think that maybe we were just supposed to find each other, and be friends. We just mistook it for something else," Finn said and Rachel thought that that might have been the wisest thing she's ever heard Finn say, and maybe even the wisest thing he's ever said.

"So we're friends?"

"Give me a little time, but yeah, we are."

"Thank you Finn. I really am sorry about all of this."

"Hey. We all get a little confused sometimes."

Rachel smiled up at Finn. This was the boy who was supposed to be her everything, the love of her life that kind of stuff. But she realized that even if he was her leading man on the stage, in glee club, he did not have to be the leading man in her heart. She once wished the two were one in the same but she realized in the moment that she didn't need that. She just needed both boys in her life, just in different ways. She reached on her tiptoe and planted a kiss on Finn's cheek before hurrying inside. She was barely settled into her room before someone was knocking on the door. Heading to the top of her staircase, Rachel could see through the top window that it was Finn but she didn't know why he would be knocking on her door just moments after she'd left him. She opened the door and began asking him if there was something he'd forgotten, but stopped when she saw the look on Finn's face.

"What's wrong?" Rachel immediately asked because she's not sure what to make of the look on Finn's face. She doesn't know how to read it and that fact alone in scaring her immensely.

"Uh, I don't even know how to say this."  
"What? Finn? You're scaring me. Please tell me."

"It's Puck. I just got a call from Santana and I guess there was an accident."

"A-a-an acc-cident?"

"I don't know the details. I seriously just got the phone call the moment your front door closed."

"Did anyone call his mother?"

"I don't know Rach."

"Can you take me to the hospital Finn?"

"Yeah sure," Finn said moving back towards his car, behind Rachel who had moved incredibly fast towards the vehicle.

* * *

The drive to the hospital was almost silent. Except for when Rachel called Mrs. Puckerman who she knew was home that night. Tears spilled from Rachel's eyes as she told Mrs. Puckerman the only information she had and heard the other woman in a panic on the other end of the phone. When Rachel hung up with the older woman, she couldn't help but think that that was the most difficult conversation she'd ever had in her life.

When they arrive at the hospital they won't give Rachel or Finn any information because neither of them are family. The only thing Rachel knows is that he's there and that they're working on him and Rachel cannot tolerate that. She needs to know how he is, she needs to make sure that he's okay, and that he's alive. And as Mrs. Puckerman followed by a still half asleep Sarah come barreling through the doors, Rachel was relieved because maybe now she can get some answers. She didn't move immediately to Puck's mom, she let her talk to the nurse at the front desk, a woman she was probably knew well since this was her place of work. Instead, Rachel just watched her, for her facial expressions, her body language, anything to could give her the answers she longed for. But when Mrs. Puckerman just walked away from the desk, dragging Sarah along with her and into a chair in the waiting area Rachel isn't sure how to approach the rest of this situation. If this was a play or a musical, she'd know what to do, she'd be ready to take on the appropriate role. But this was real life and Puck was laying in a bed somewhere in some unknown condition. Rachel watched as a doctor or someone came out, talked to Mrs. Puckerman, and she continued to watch as Mrs. Puckerman broke down into tears. And then Rachel's heart stopped in her chest. The look on Mrs. Puckerman's face told Rachel everything she needed to know. Something was really wrong with Puck.

* * *

**AN:** Cliffhanger I know! But I think the next chapter will be the last so I've gotta have some kind of build up. R&R!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: So this is it! This is the end. I always thought this would go longer it is time to say goodbye. Thank everyone who has reviewed, alerted, favorited this story. I've really loved going on this journey with the characters and with the readers.

Thank you again to the ladies over at GleeForum who inspired this story. If you think about it, this is actually the unofficial first story in the More Than You Think You Are series They are my Pucklefam and they are awesome! I love them dearly!

Speaking of which, check out the More Than You Think You Are series. Its on going and currently features another Puckleberry fic, a Brittana fic, and shocking if you know me a PQ fic!

For those who read The Place Where I Belong I am going to start working on the new chapter in the morning!

Alright I'm done yapping! R&R and if you feel like stalking me on twitter go ahead thatgleekychick

* * *

Rachel walked over to Mrs. Puckerman the moment the doctor left the waiting area. She stood in front of Mrs. Puckerman for a few moments, the older woman unaware of her presence. Rachel could hear Mrs. Puckerman mutter something over and over again and on one instance Rachel realized that the sobbing woman was actually muttering "Thank you God."

"Mrs. Puckerman?" Rachel said making her presence known at that moment.

"Oh Rachel," the elder woman said standing from her chair before she engulfed Rachel in a hug, holding Rachel tight against her. Rachel hugged her back still unsure.

"How is he?" Rachel whispered into Mrs. Puckerman's ear.

The older woman pulled away and Rachel saw tears in her eyes as she placed her hands on each of her cheeks, "He's going to be okay."

Rachel felt like all the pressure that has been building up in her chest since she'd found out about the accident had escaped her in one fluid motion and tears began to form in her own eyes.

"I'm going to go see him," Mrs. Puckerman said, "would you like to come with me?"

"I don't know if he wants to see me right now," Rachel said honestly, "We got in a bit of an argument earlier tonight. Just tell him I'm here."

Mrs. Puckerman nodded and grabbed Sarah by the hand and guided her out of the waiting area, towards Puck. Rachel caught her breath and slid into the nearest chair as Finn came over.

"How bad is it?"

Rachel took a deep breath because for all the good news she just got she found it difficult to be calm, "Mrs. Puckerman said he's going to be fine."

Rachel could hear Finn exhale in relief and though that maybe Finn was as worried as she was about Puck.

"Why aren't you with Mrs. Puckerman? Don't you want to see him?"

"Of course I want to see him. I just don't know if he's going to want to see me."

"It's going to mean a lot to him that you're here. I remember one time when we were younger I was late to one of Puck's birthday parties. My mom couldn't find her car keys and then her shoes and she was yelling a lot. But anyway, Puck kept telling me before that I had to be there and even though he was mad at me for being late he told me that he was really just happy I showed up. But don't tell him I told you that because he then told me he'd kick my ass if anyone found out."

"Your secrets safe with me."

"Do you want to go home?"

"No. You don't have to stay though. I can find another way home." "How? You're dads are out of town."

Rachel just shrugged.

"I can stay," Finn said, "I want to stay."

Rachel just smiled up at him.

Rachel and Finn just sat in the waiting room for a while. Mrs. Puckerman didn't come out and other than the white noise of the hospital, there was no sound. It was late and honestly Rachel was tired, but if Mrs. Puckerman came out and said that Puck wanted to see her, she had to be there. She needed to be there.

But when Mrs. Puckerman comes out, she tells Rachel and Finn that Puck had fallen asleep and that after he's released from the hospital in the morning they can come visit him at home. Rachel only nods and she and Finn leave the hospital. When Finn dropped her off for the second time that night, this time its well after two in the morning. He offered to pick her up and so that they could visit Puck together but Rachel declined. She had to see him by herself, at least at first.

Rachel doesn't sleep much that night. She sends Puck's phone a text but she has no idea if he'd gotten it or if his phone is even on. Either way she doesn't get a response.

The next morning Rachel wasn't sure when Puck was getting released but she waiting for something that told that it's okay for her to come over. But there is no way because she even called his phone this time and he didn't pick up. She's almost certain that her driving past his house every half an hour is pushing her persistence to the level of Jacob Ben Israel who had done that for an entire summer after her freshman year of high school, and he couldn't even drive!

So instead Rachel waited until late afternoon. She could have gone sooner, she should have gone sooner, but instead she was sitting on her couch, staring as the television was playing soap operas that she wasn't paying attention to. But she had decided while she was sitting there that once they were over it would be time to go. And when the time came, she grabbed her bag and made her way to the car, and then to the Puckerman's, moving at an inexcusably slow pace. But when she got to Puck's house his mother let her in immediately and Rachel went up to his room. When she saw that his door was open she knocked on the door frame.

"Hi," she said sheepishly.

"Hi," Rachel smiled a bit, monosyllable words were a start.

"How are you doing?"

"Couple cuts and bruises, nothing I haven't had before."

"Good. Well not good that you have cuts and bruises just-I'm glad you're alright."

"My mom said you came to the hospital."

"I did."

"I didn't want to see you."

"I figured."

"I don't know if I want to see you now."

"Noah. I know you're mad at me. And I have a lot of say to you, but I'm not sure right now is a good time."

"I don't want to hear it Rachel, ever."

"Finn and I broke up."

"Great. Happy Hanukah."

"Don't you want to hear why?"

"No."

"Noah."

"Look Rachel. Can you just go? I'm trying to be nice and we both know that only works for so long with me." "Look Noah. You can push me away all you want but I'm still going to come back."

"Rachel. GO!"

Rachel took a deep breath and followed Puck's request. He didn't want to see her, he didn't want to talk to her, there was no use of her standing there looking like a fool.

When she got back to her house she went into her room and threw herself on her bed. She cried then, for a few different reasons. She cried out of relief that Puck was alright. Looking at his face seeing the cuts and the bruises and the reds, purples and blues that came with it made her heart lurch, but knowing that that was all it was, knowing that it could have been worse, calmed Rachel but only for a moment. When she realized how screwed up things had become, she cried harder. She cried because she knew that if she hadn't been so naïve, so ignorant to her own feelings they might not have been in this mess in the first place. If she'd been honest with her heart and not with her goals she'd have known that Puck was her choice all along, and really he fit right into her life. That life that she'd been planning for so many years, he was a piece that would fit right in. She'd just gone looking in the wrong places to find it. That afternoon Rachel cried herself to sleep.

The next morning when she woke up from her uncommonly long sleep Rachel didn't feel like doing a whole lot. There really wasn't anything to do. She just cuddled up on the couch with a blanket and a movie. She shed a tear as she was looking through movies and found The Strangers but just tossed it to the side and made a note to at least drop that off to him soon. She picked something that she knew wouldn't make her cry, Hairspray, but she ended up crying a bit when Tracy was locked in the Pingleton's bomb shelter. And when someone was knocking on her front door just before Tracy made me grand entrance during the Miss Hairspray Pageant Rachel was almost hesitant to get off the couch. She moved slowly to get to the door.

Rachel unlocked the lock and tugged the door open and immediately the heart she thought couldn't break anymore snapped once again. In front of her stood Puck the cuts on his face exposed in the sunlight and Rachel could see the bruises more clearly and even though she knew he was okay, the look of his wounds made me worry still. But what caught her attention more than the blue and purple skin was his hazel eyes those beautiful hazel eyes were red around the rims and bloodshot. He'd been crying.

Rachel immediately grabbed him by the hand and pulled him inside without a word. Rachel shut the door and neither of them said anything as they just stared at each other. There was space between them and Rachel fought hard against her urge to wrap him in her arms and just hold him. This was not something she'd ever seen; something she never thought she'd see. There was the open Puck that she'd been friends with, the Puck who told me things and was nice to her. But this Puck, this vulnerable boy in front of her was nothing she'd experienced. She wanted to cry and she could feel the tears begin to well up in her eyes but she pushed them back, hard.

Rachel took a deep breath, "Can I get you anything?" she asked her voice completely failing her.

Puck just shook his head, "Can we talk?"

Rachel nodded and led them over to her couch. She sat down in the middle and he sat down next to her, right next to her so that their legs brushed against each other often. Rachel looked at Puck whose face still held that tortured sadness that she'd seen since she'd opened the door, he hadn't relaxed at all. Though somewhere inside her told her it was the wrong thing to do, Rachel reached over and grabbed Puck's hand from where it sat on his knee. She was thankful she didn't listen to that nagging feeling when he didn't pull away. They're quiet for a long time and Rachel knows that he needs to speak first, because he came to her, and because she'd already said too much, yet not enough. It wasn't her turn to talk.

"I'm sorry," Puck said breaking the quiet.

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"I pushed you away. I keep telling myself that if I didn't push you away, none of this would've happened."

"We both made mistakes Noah."

"I didn't know what else to do, "Puck said not looking at her but instead looking at the carpet in front of him, "Losing my daughter and then you and Finn being together. I just needed to be angry because…"

Rachel gave Puck's hand a reassuring squeeze and he turned to look at her the tears once again welling in his eyes waiting to be released.

"I just wanted everything to go back to when you and I weren't friends and Finn hated me. I wanted to go back to being a jerk because it was better that way," Puck looks away and takes a sharp deep breath and Rachel knows that those tears that he was fighting so hard to keep from falling, "I just wanted everything to stop hurting."

"Oh Noah," Rachel whispered before not caring and pulling Puck towards her. She pressed his head to her chest as she cradled it and knew that when this was all over that he was going to make jokes about being so close to her chest and she couldn't wait. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and she placed a kiss against the top of his head and let him feel, she let him feel sad. She wondered as his body shook the last time he'd done this. The night he found out Quinn was pregnant? The night they gave away their daughter? Before then even? But she held him and let him release what seemed to be keeping in.

When he seemed to have calmed down he lifted himself from Rachel's hold but found and held her hand instead, the other wiping the remaining tears from his face.

"I made the wrong choice," Rachel said simply.

"Finn told me."

"Finn?"

"He came by today to check in on me. I guess he doesn't hate me anymore. This is surprising since he says you were into me."

"Well that's not exactly the way I wanted you to find out."

"If I wasn't being so stubborn you would have told me yesterday. I guess we both made some wrong choices."

"So where does this leave us?"

"In the very same place before you walked out of my house that day. After I told you that I loved you, after I kissed you."

"No it doesn't. I've made my choice, realized it was wrong and made a new choice."

"Then that leaves us with this," Puck said before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on Rachel's lips, "We're good."


End file.
